The Cosmic King: Bk 1
by TheClowningPrince
Summary: The Gods, in their arrogance and selfishness, have displeased the creator, forcing him to finally step in after eons of seclusion. It's time for a change in management. It's time for the Son of Chaos. It's time... for Percy Jackson. Credit to Misselle from DevianArt for the cover image. Sequel Posted!
1. Ch 1: Prologue

**Alright everybody, this is something I came up with the other day and I really wanted to give it a shot. This is just a trial run for this story and I don't plan on working on it very often while I'm also working on HDR: The Phantom Era. I've been a huge fan of the PJO and HOO series as well as the Magnus Chase series, and I love Greek Mythology. So, I found an opportunity to give my own spin of the PJ series and try my hand at it. If this chapter receives a lot of positive feedback, then I will update this along with my HDR sequel. If not, then I'll finish HDR: TPE first before putting more time into TCK.**

 **Also, I'm currently working on chapter 9 of HDR so it may be another few days to week before I update again. I apologize for the delay but...I'm 20 years old with a job, insomnia problems, and a truck that likes to act up on occasion.**

 **Anyway, hope you all enjoy this little teaser chapter and please don't forget to R &R, I really appreciate your feedback.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 _First Person P.O.V.:_

For eons I have watched the progress of humans and civilization, aided by my grandchildren and great grandchildren. I was proud of them. The Primordial were the first beings to inherit the blank slate I had named Earth. They took domain over the simplest, yet strongest, aspects of life.

Gaea, my eldest daughter, became the Primordial of the earth, taking control of the landmasses. My eldest son, Tartarus, became the Primordial of the Pit; a prison located in the Underworld for those truly heinous. Ouranos took to the domain of the Sky, having power over the winds and stars. Erebus took the domain of darkness and his sister, Nyx, took the domain of Night.

I watched my five children interact with one another and form the planet Earth you see today. I was proud of them and felt I had truly achieved creating something good. That is...until the Titans were born.

My children intermarried and had children of their own, these immortals were deemed the Titans. Many of my grandchildren had gained rather significant domains, and while their domains were rather benevolent, their intentions were not. Several of my grandchildren had become corrupted with power and sought to remake the Earth in their image.

More specifically, Kronos. He became the Titan of Time, more specifically the destructiveness of Time, and was a truly despicable immortal. Remorseless and power hungry, he craved power and saw the world as his possession, do to with as he pleased. He turned on his father, Ouranos, and proclaimed himself the King of the Titans. It was after he married his sister, Rhea, when Kronos was presented with a prophecy from Gaea and Ouranos, foretelling that he would one day be felled by his son. Kronos was, of course, fearful of this prophecy and took rather drastic and... _unappetizing_ precautions.

For each child that his wife Rhea bore, the mad Titan of Time would swallow them. I watched, disgusted and disappointed as he swallowed his six children whole. First Hestia, then Demeter and Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. Rhea was distraught with her husband's acts, and prayed to Gaea and Ouranos, to help her end the Plight that was Kronos. When it came time that Zeus was to be born, my children hid Rhea away, to bear her son in secret.

When the boy was matured, Rhea drugged her husband, causing him to, um, throw his children back up. It was then that Zeus took up his father's scythe, and murdered Kronos. Dicing him into hundreds of tiny pieces and casting what remained of the Titan into the depths of Tartarus. It was then another threat arose.

When Kronos turned on Ouranos, the Titan had taken a scythe, given to him by Gaea, and performed a rather extreme vasectomy on the Primordial of the Sky. When Kronos did this, he cast his father's...fun spot, into the sea. This action birthed a number of beings, one of which was the goddess Aphrodite and another being a group of abominable beasts known as the Gigantes.

These Gigantes had been loyal to Kronos and called for revenge against the Gods. The war between the two factions raged on for decades, with heavy casualties. Mountains shook and shattered, seas boiled over and tsunamis ran rampant. It was after a century of war and death and chaos that the Gods finally defeated the Gigantes, locking them away in the depths of Tartarus with their Titan brothers and sisters. It was after their success that Zeus proclaimed himself King of the Olympian Gods, and each of the gods and goddesses were given their domains, and a long age of peace spread throughout the world.

At first, anyway. After a time, wars were waged. Whether it due to betrayal, or petty feuds, or pathetic thievery, many good humans and demi-mortals died in the name of their gods. Generations of blood, sweat, and tears spilled so that my descendant, the Almighty Zeus, would reign supreme and do nothing by way of helping these humans and their own demigod children. Well I for one have had enough. No more will I stand idly by as these selfish, egotistical immortals tear apart the one good thing I managed to create. It is time for a new age, a new era for the immortals. It is time, for the Primordial Descendant.

 **TDK TDK TDK**

Void.

This... _place_ had an utter absence of light. Endless and cold, devoid of anything resembling life or light. 'The Void', as many who have theorized its existence have called it, has existed since before even Time itself had begun to move.

'The Void' is a plane known only in theory. Of the beings who have ever entered its inky endlessness, whether of their own alacrity, or lack thereof, have never returned. Nary a soul would ever leave this plane, and not for a lack of trying.

Some believe it to be vaguely reminiscent of Tartarus; devoid of hope and teeming with despair.

That is where the similarities end.

Truth be told, nary a being knows much more of 'The Void' than its name. Even the Gods themselves are ignorant of its origin and its original intended purpose. Many ancients believed to see a grain of truth within the legend of this dark plane. They saw an opportunity to utilize 'The Void' as a prison. An afterlife for immortal criminals, traitors, and those the Gods despised, that they deemed too dangerous and malevolent to be granted the mercy of imprisonment in the Pit of Tartarus.

These immortals believed there to be a pocket of life within 'The Void' to where other immortals, who have been forgotten and faded, journey to as their own form of an immortal's afterlife. In a way, they are correct.

'The Void' is indeed a place where those who have faded journey to…but not into paradise. In truth, once an immortal has faded, their consciousness and Godly essence is cast into the cosmos, swirling forever in an endless cycle throughout the vastness of space.

Their power however, their claim over their domains, is sent into 'The Void'. There, in its deepest and darkest corner, the powers of the faded immortals have gathered and coalesced, forming a massive orb of raw energy. Pulsating and swirling, its unbridled power is only kept in check by 'The Void's' cosmic vacuum.

It is within this corner of The Void that my solution to the curse that is the Olympian Council shall be born. By my hand, and by my power, I shall give life to a new being. A mortal with power to rival the Olympians, and even my own children. This mortal shall possess the power and domains of a handful of faded immortals of my choosing, lying dormant until the time that he or she turns seventeen. By that time, both the Great Prophecy and the Prophecy of Seven will have passed and I shall claim them as my child and bring about the new age. For now though, I shall create their essence, their soul, and send it along to be borne by a god and a mortal, lest they be shackled by the Ancient Laws.

The end of age of the Olympians begins, to usher forth the age of Chaos.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 _Montauk Beach_

 _December 25th, 1992_

Sally settled into the strong, tanned arms of the man who held her, with a contented sigh. It had only been several months since the two had met, and yet she felt happier than she'd been in a long time. Sally's expression fell slightly, and a pang of sadness stabbed at her heart. "Do you really have to leave?"

The tanned, bearded man with laugh lines sighed and gently squeezed his lover from behind. "Yes, Sally. The laws, and my bull-headed brother, prevent me from spending too long with a mortal. I've already tested the waters enough this year as it is."

Leaning back into the broad chest of the man, Sally felt a tear break loose from the corner of her eye and trail down her cheek. She breathed deeply and felt that pang in her heart at the scent of salt and the sea. The two sat together on the white sands of the beach, gazing out at the gently ebbing and flowing ocean. The sun had just begun its descent and had fallen halfway below the horizon, casting its orange rays across the water to create a truly breathtaking sight.

Sally huffed and glared up at the darkening sky. "Well screw the laws. And your jackass of a brother too."

The man chuckled warmly, his laugh reverberating through his chest, causing Sally to smile and close her eyes. "Defiant as always, Sal. Don't ever change."

The two sat in a comfortable silence and watched as the sun slowly set and the stars began to dot the sky and surround a shining, silvery full moon. Sally understood quite well how limited the gods were in dealing with the mortal world. Aside from the occasional escapade to meet mortals and have children, they were limited to subtle interaction with modern society, occasionally nudging mankind in the right - and sometimes wrong - direction. Sally knew she was rather lucky to have spent a majority of the last year with him, considering how limited his interaction has to be and tending to the needs of his people and domain.

"Will I ever see you again?" Sally whispered, almost fearing what his answer might be.

He took a long, slow breath and let it out before answering. "It'll be awhile before I can visit again. But yes, I will come back, Sally. I promise."

Sally turned in his lap and stared into his eyes. Her piercing blue meeting his powerful, sea-green. She leaned forward and kissed his lips gently and smiled slightly when she felt him return the embrace. When they broke apart, their eyes were closed, and Sally leaned into his chest and whispered, "I love you, Poseidon."

The God of the Sea leaned down and kissed the top of her chocolate-colored hair. "And I love you, Sally Jackson." Poseidon gently rocked back and forth for a few moments before speaking again. "I want to give you something."

Sally leaned away from the Sea God with a curious expression and watched as he lifted a hand towards the sea and adopted a look of concentration. After a moment the water bubbled slightly and what appeared to be a large, grayish rock soared from the waves and into Poseidon's open palm. He offered his hand to her and Sally looked to realize he was holding an oyster roughly the size of a coffee mug.

"Open it."

Gingerly, she reached out and cupped the oyster in her hands and slowly opened the shell. Sally gasped at what she saw inside; there, set in the center like a diamond ring, sat a polished, blackish-grey pearl, with swirls of silver throughout, the size of a grape. The pearl was wrapped in a wire frame and attached to a silver chain. "Poseidon...it's beautiful."

The Sea God smiled and lifted the pearl from the oyster by its chain. Sally turned and moved her hair to the side, allowing him to place the necklace around her neck as he spoke. "It's a Tahitian Pearl. The rarest and most valuable pearl when found in nature. I found this particular specimen in the Mariana Trench a couple of months ago during a routine sweep for sea monsters. It reminded me of you; beautiful and very rare. Found only once in a lifetime. And I'm a god, so it's a very long lifetime." Poseidon let out a deep rumbling laugh at his own joke and received a gentle slap to the chest from a fondly smiling Sally.

Poseidon sobered up and smiled at the woman in his arms. "I blessed it. If ever you find yourself in danger, and need help, simply whisper my name to it and I will come to you."

"Thank you." Sally whispered softly, giving Poseidon a gentle kiss on the cheek. The two settled down once more and listened to the sound of the waves lapping at the shore and the seagulls settling down in the distance. "When do you have to go?"

"In the morning."

Sally turned in Poseidon's lap and straddled him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Then I propose we go back to the cabin and make the best of our last night together. I want this to be a night to remember, a truly perfect Christmas."

Poseidon wrapped his arms around Sally's back and kissed her deeply. After a minute the two came up for air and the god grinned before pecking her on the nose and whispering, "race ya there."

Later that night, in the throes of their amorous activities, an event occurred. The likes of which neither mortal or immortal had ever seen before. From the depths of a realm known as The Void, an orb of raw energy began to pulsate and glow, the pacing of which grew faster and faster, and glowing brighter by the second. After several moments, when the pulses had sped up to the point where they had blended together, it stopped. With the pulsating ceasing, the orb seemed to release a cloud of golden smoke, which floated away from the orb before disappearing.

In another realm, separate from The Void and Earth, the Primordial Chaos appeared to be asleep on a large, midnight colored throne, which depicted swirling galaxies and shooting stars. When the wisp of energy released from the orb, the creator of the universe opened his eyes, revealing pitch-black sclera and irises resembling white-hot stars. Chaos smiled and sighed contentedly.

"It has begun."

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 **So? What did you all think? Kinda cool, kinda suspenseful? It's a bit of a teaser/trial run, but I don't think it's** _ **too**_ **bad.**

 **Anyway, please R &R and let me know what you think.**

 **Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	2. Ch 2: The Child is Born

**All right here comes chapter 2. Glad you guys liked chapter 1, I have high hopes for this story and your reviews are making it worth it.**

 **Anyway, it's been 8 months since Poseidon and Sally had their little...Christmas Celebration, so it's time for Percy to be born! Percy's birthday and year are canon, but where he is born is not. Canon says he lives near Queensboro Bridge, so I picked a hospital relatively close by and said he was born there. Mount Sinai is in fact a real hospital.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 _Manhattan, New York_

 _Mount Sinai Hospital_

 _August 18th, 1993_

The stark-white double doors burst open and in rushed a tanned man with black hair, a big bushy beard, and powerful sea-green eyes. The man approached the reception desk and spoke hurriedly. "Excuse me, I'm looking-"

"Honey, I'm gonna need you to sign in if you're here to visit." Interrupted the nurse behind the desk, a slightly heavy-set black woman with a no-nonsense attitude.

"Ma'am please, I'm looking for-"

"No sign-in, no admittance. That's the rule, honey." The nurse interrupted again, looking at the man over the top of her glasses.

"Oh for the love of…" the man groaned. "Fine." He grabbed the clipboard and a pen and filled in an empty line; _Pose Idon._

The nurse took the clipboard back and nodded her approval. She looked back at the man. "Now, Mr. Idon, how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Sally Jackson. She called me a few hours ago and told me she had gone into labor!" Poseidon stated impatiently, tapping his foot while the nurse turned to her computer and tapped a few keys.

"Mhmm, okay...Jackson, Jackson...Here we go. Sally Jackson, Maternity Ward, room 301-"

When the nurse looked up from the screen she stopped when all she saw was the back of the man disappearing through the double doors marked 'Maternity Ward'. "Hmph, a 'thank you' would have been appreciated."

Poseidon raced down the halls, turning left and right, sometimes doubling back, searching vainly for room 301. Nurses and doctors making their rounds and prepping for various operations were roaming the halls, only to jump aside when the six-and-a-half-foot tall god came barreling by, searching frantically for the mother of his child. Finally after searching seemingly half the hospital, the god screeched to a halt in front of room 301...and just...froze. The sea god, jokester of the Big Three and the most mellow of the three brothers, was nervous and terrified. He was about to meet his newest child. Sally's child. A child forbidden to be born. A child that could be fated to be part of the Great Prophecy.

The God of the Sea shook away his doubts and reached for the door handle but paused when his hand was only an inch away. Maybe he should stay away, leaving would make it easier for the child to stay hidden. The less time he was around the child, the weaker the child's scent would be, and the less monsters would be attracted to it. Poseidon shook his head and steeled his resolve. No, he wouldn't be like his brother. Zeus may not have given a shit about his kids, only in it for the fun times, but that didn't mean the sea god had to do the same. This was _his_ child, dammit! He would _not_ abandon it and leave it and Sally to fend for themselves. With a firm nod, he grabbed the handle, twisted, and entered the room.

Sally was upright in the hospital bed, cradling a little bundle in a navy-blue blanket, cooing, and smiling happily. She looked up when the door open and grinned tiredly when she spotted Poseidon. Her chocolate-brown hair was matted to her forehead with sweat, she had dark circles under her eyes, and exhaustion was written all over her face. Despite all this, Poseidon thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"You came." Sally whispered happily, her eyes soaking in the wide-eyed expression on the sea gods bearded face.

Poseidon snapped out of his reverie and approached the bed. "Of course I came. I'm just sorry I took so long to get here." He reached out to move aside part of the blanket to see his child and his heart leaped in his chest. The infant had his hair, raven-black and messy like his. _I wonder…_ Before he could finish the thought, the baby opened its eyes to reveal sea-green irises that seemed to pulse with power.

"It's a boy." Sally informed him, gently running her fingers over the top of the baby's head.

"Have you picked a name?"

Sally didn't reply right away, taking a moment to lovingly admire the baby boy nestled in her arms, his pudgy little hands waving in the air and his eyes seemingly searching the room. "I was thinking I'd give him a Greek name." She looked up at Poseidon with a faint smile. "I was thinking of naming him 'Perseus'."

Poseidon cocked an eyebrow and glanced up from the babe to Sally. "Perseus? After my brother's kid?"

Sally chuckled and shook her head. "No, you goof. After the greatest hero that ever lived. I can see his power through the Mist, Sei*. He's going to be very strong when he gets older. He'll be a hero, fitting of the name."

Poseidon cast his gaze back on the child and manipulated the Mist, clearing it away to see what Sally had seen. The sea god held back a gasp when the Mist cleared. The boy's aura glowed as bright as the sun and seemed to radiate with power. The babe truly would grow to be a powerful demigod...perhaps the most powerful of his generation. Poseidon felt a sense of pride wash over him...quickly followed by a sense of dread. As powerful as the boy was, he would only get stronger. The stronger he got...the more likely he would be the child of prophecy.

"Will you protect him?" Poseidon shook himself from his thoughts and looked up to meet Sally's eyes. She asked again. "Will you protect him? Protect us?"

Poseidon gazed into Sally's eyes and nodded. "I will. I can't stay for too long at one time, but I will always be there to keep you both safe." Sally searched his eyes for a moment, looking for any doubt, any reluctance in his words. She nodded not too long after, seemingly satisfied with what she saw. "Remember, Sal, you've still got the pearl. I'll bring you a few things that'll help keep you safe. There's something you have to understand though, Sally."

"What is it?"

The sea god turned his gaze back to Perseus. The babe was staring back at him, a glimmer of recognition in his infantile eyes. Poseidon smiled warmly and stuck out a finger, letting the boy grab hold of it with one of his tiny hands. Perseus giggled and cracked a wide, toothless smile. "The longer I'm around him...the stronger his aura will be. The stronger it is, the more monsters it will attract. I will do all I can to keep you two safe, but I can't stay forever Sal."

Sally nodded, and a few tears filled her eyes. She fussed with the blankets, trying to hide her face from Poseidon. "I understand, Sei. I hate it, and I wish it didn't have to be that way, but...I understand."

"I'll try and visit as much as I can," Poseidon promised. "Twice, maybe three times a year for a week or two. That's the most I can do without putting you both in danger. Hopefully my brother won't find out until Perseus is old enough to go to camp Half-Blood."

"So, I'm guessing you like the name then?" Sally asked with a smug grin."

Poseidon rolled his eyes and smirked. "Alright, you caught me. Perseus is a good name. Not to mention it'll piss off my brother when he finds a son of Poseidon with the name of a son of Zeus." He muttered under his breath, but Sally heard. "That or his ego will make him think it an honor to have a son named after his."

Sally laughed tiredly, her eyes starting to droop and let out a wide yawn. Poseidon was about to suggest she get some rest when a nurse knocked on the door. The nurse was a short, brown-haired woman with kind, green eyes. "Ms. Jackson, Mr. Idon? Visiting hours are almost over. We could put little Jackson in the nursery for the night if you'd like? Let you get some sleep."

"Thank you, but I'd rather have Perseus in here with me tonight. Would you mind bringing one of those little roll-around cribs?" Sally asked, smiling tiredly at the nurse.

The nurse smiled back. "Of course, Ms. Jackson. Mr. Idon, will you be staying the night?"

Poseidon turned to Sally and smiled sadly. "No, I have some things to take care of at home. I'll be back to take them home tomorrow."

"Of course, Mr. Idon. I'll be right back with that crib." The nurse turned and left, closing the door behind her.

Poseidon leaned forward and gave Sally a gentle kiss on the forehead. "I'll be back at noon tomorrow. If you need anything, just call. Okay?"

"Okay," Sally said, smiling sleepily and cradling Perseus closer to her chest.

"Good night, Sal."

"Good night, Sei."

 **TCK TCK TCK**

Later that night, when half of the lights in the hospital were off and most of the rooms were darkened, a pitch-black portal opened up in room 301. From it stepped a tall man with snowy-white skin and raven-black hair. He wore a three-piece suit the same color as the portal and his eyes were black with pupils that shone like stars. The man approached a small plastic crib that sat next to a hospital bed containing a woman with brown hair and a kind face.

Chaos smiled warmly when he saw the tiny form lying in the crib. The infant was fast asleep, wrapped tight in his navy-blue blanket with a little blue beanie perched on top of his black hair. Chaos leaned over and gently picked the baby up, cradling him to his chest, making sure to support his head. "Hmm, Perseus, eh? I knew him once. He was a good man, very brave, very selfless." Chaos whispered to the baby boy, rocking him gently in his arms. "It was very odd for a child of Zeus; undoubtedly the most arrogant and self-important immortal I have ever known."

Perseus shifted in his sleep, making little grunting noises, and straining unconsciously against the swaddling.

"I know, my boy. I know," Chaos whispered comfortingly. "You're restrained. Unable to move about on your own without support. Helpless. Fragile." The Primordial crossed the room and sat in the slightly uncomfortable hospital chair. "You won't be like that forever, my son. One day you will be strong enough to shift mountains, split continents...possibly even pull the stars themselves from the skies."

Perseus shifted again, only this time his eyes opened, revealing those sea-green orbs of full of power. The boy yawned widely and his eyes began to search the room, almost like he were trying to take in as much information as possible. Then his gaze shifted to Chaos. The two stared at each other for a long, silent moment.

"Hello, little one. I am Chaos. Your father." The Primordial explained, not really expecting the child to understand. And yet...the boy began to smile, his pink gums showcasing his lack of teeth and his eyes shining with recognition. Chaos inhaled sharply, stunned that this child, less than a day old, could recognize his Primordial aura. "My word...you remember...don't you? You know who I am."

Perseus gurgled happily and strained against his blanket, trying vainly to break free and reach out for his daddy.

"Here, let's get you out of this for a bit. Let you move around a little." Chaos murmured, carefully unwrapping the boy from the swaddling. When the boy's arms were free, he waved his hands about, reaching towards Chaos. The Primordial smiled and offered his pointer finger. Perseus latched on with a firm grip, far stronger than any normal infant, and the boy giggled happily. Chaos sighed and smiled. "There you go, Perseus. You're a very special little boy, you know. One day...one day you will get to stand by my side and we will do right by the world."

Perseus' eyes never left the Primordial's face as he talked. The boy didn't understand what he was saying, but he found the sound of his father's voice to be soothing.

Chaos continued, wiggling his finger back and forth, much to Perseus' amusement. "You will face many hardships in your life, Perseus. At times you will feel like giving up, like the world is against you...but you can't give up. You must keep going, keep on fighting. Don't ever think you are alone. You will have friends, and family. A loving mother in Sally, and a caring father in both Poseidon and myself."

The Primordial began rocking Perseus again, using a little of his control over the Mist to try and lull the boy back to sleep. "I cannot visit you in person, lest I alert those Olympians to my existence - they still believe I had faded long ago - but you will see me in your dreams, my son. Every night, I will visit and speak with you. You will know of me, but you will simply regard it as a dream until the day arrives."

Perseus had finally entered the realm of Hypnos and was breathing steadily. Chaos rose from the chair slowly and crossed the room to set him in his crib.

Chaos gently stroked the infant's cheek and whispered to him. "I will watch over you until the time comes when your true powers will awaken. You will never be alone, Perseus, I promise you that. Now sleep soundly, my son. Until we meet again in the land of Morpheus."

Chaos straightened and approached the bed where Sally Jackson slept. The Primordial waved his hand over her sleeping form, manipulating the Mist to his will, speaking as he did so. "Sally Anne Jackson, by the power of Chaos and as creator of the Universe, I grant you protection of the highest regard. No being, whether it human, immortal, or monster, will be capable of bringing you harm. With my blessing, even the Fates dare not touch your String of Life. Sleep well now, Sally Jackson, and do not fear the future."

Sally's body began to glow with Chaos' final words before fading away just as quickly. The Primordial turned and snapped his fingers, opening another pitch-black portal. He gave one last look and a warm smile to the sleeping forms nestled in their beds before stepping through the portal, which silently closed behind him.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

Chaos snapped his fingers, closing the portal behind him and sighed sadly, a faint smile on his face

"Out for a stroll around the Earth again, brother?"

The Primordial's head snapped to the side and spotted a woman walking towards him. The woman was just a few inches shorter than him and was the exact opposite in appearance. Her skin was black as midnight and her hair was as white as fresh snow, hanging down the middle of her back to her waist in a braid, and she wore a white evening dress. Eyes with white sclera and black irises stared back at him. "Good evening, sister. Yes, I was just visiting my son."

The woman cocked an eyebrow and regarded her brother with a curious look. "Son? So you really did it."

"Yes, sister, it has begun. Perseus was born earlier this afternoon."

"Perseus? A son of Zeus then?" The woman spat, a sneer on her face.

Chaos chuckled and motioned for his sister to follow him. "Oh please, Order. Like I would ever allow my son to be fathered by an arrogant bastard like the dimwitted lightning rod."

The two were in a long hallway made of smooth-cut obsidian and marble blocks. There were no windows, but alcoves cut every ten feet displayed various glass spheres. Inside these spheres sat miniature models of galaxies that spread throughout the universe, all swirling and moving in real time. The two Primordials approached a set of double doors and Chaos waved his hand, causing them to swing open with a quiet groan. The room they entered resembled a massive library, double the size of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Dozens of tables were spread around on the lower floor, and shelves lined the walls, reaching several stories high.

Chaos showed his sister to a table and pulled out her chair. Once Order was seated, the Creator lifted his hand and called out, "Perseus Jackson!"

A book zoomed through the air from the depths of the library and landed spine first in his outstretched hand. Order stared at the book while her brother sat and asked, "is that what I think it is?"

"Yes," Chaos confirmed, setting the tome on the table's surface, and opening it to the first page. He spun the book and pushed it towards Order. "This is the Record of the Life of Perseus Jackson. The first chapter depicts very specific details; height and weight at birth, blood type, innate powers, hair and eye color...parentage."

Order glanced up at her brother briefly then turned her attention back to the book. She scanned the first page, soaking up the information laid before her. _Let's see...22 inches long, 7 lbs. 12 oz... Hydrokinesis, Pyrokinesis, Aerokinesis, Geokinesis...Son of Sally Anne Jackson, Chaos, and…_ "Poseidon?"

Chaos nodded when his sister looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Yes. I thought it fitting for him to have control over the four base elements."

"He will be powerful, brother," Order commented warily. "Very powerful. He may even be strong enough to give your children trouble."

Chaos nodded and closed the book, picking it up and sending it back to its shelf. "That he will. But we have nothing to fear, sister. I held him tonight. I spoke to him. And he...he…"

Order reached across to cover her brother's hand with her own and spoke gently. "What, brother?"

"He recognized me...well, my _aura_." Chaos looked up at his sister, his eyes watery but a smile on his face. "Order, he was less than half a day old and yet he knew who I was. This isn't _just_ about righting the wrong that the Olympian council has done, anymore. This is about my _son_. I have blessed the mother with protection, and that will extend to Perseus so long as he is living under her roof."

"You'll visit him in Morpheus?" Order asked, her voice quiet and comforting.

"I will. Every night when he is able to dream."

Order grinned and patted her brother's hand. "In that case, I want to visit with you." Chaos merely raised an eyebrow and regarded his sister curiously. "What? I would like to meet my nephew. Introduce him to his Auntie Order."

Chaos chuckled and grabbed his sister's hand. "Very well. It may be a few years before the boy is able to dream...but you are more than welcome to visit with me."

"That's no problem, brother," Order stated reassuringly, waving a hand at Chaos. "A few years is the blink of an eye to us."

"Thank you, sister." Chaos said, his voice sincere and his smile warm. He stood suddenly, Order following him. "If you'll excuse me, sister. I must rest. It has been a... long day."

Order nodded and hugged Chaos. "Of course, brother. Good night."

"Good night."

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 **Holy chimichanga. I pumped this baby out in only a few hours. I gotta say, this chapter was fun to write. Daddy Chaos, Daddy Poseidon, Auntie Order… All sooo much fun to write. Now, future chapters will contain infrequent time skips, only because most of this will be canon, with the exception of a handful of events and decisions.**

 ***Sei- I got tired of typing Poseidon so much, and it just seems like a mouthful for a character to say, so I have him a nickname that Sally will often use. It's pronounced like 'sigh'.**

 **Anyway, hope you all enjoyed baby Percy and Daddy Chaos. He may seem like a lovable guy now but piss him off and he could literally erase you from existence.**

 **Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	3. Ch 3: Birthday Visit

**Man I'm pumpin' these things out like hotcakes. I think having a fresh idea like this story is what's getting me motivated to start writing more and more chapters for this fic. I'm not abandoning The Phantom Rule, I'm just having a little trouble with motivation and chapter ideas. If you've read what I have so far, please leave a review in that stories comment section with some ideas for what I can do for future chapters.**

 **Even better, if you're interested in co-op'ing on that story, shoot me a message and I'll see what we can do. I won't say yes to everyone so please don't feel bad if I don't pick you.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 _Aguas Tranquilas Apartments_

 _Manhattan, New York City_

 _August 18th, 1998_

 _8:30am_

In a small, but cozy, two-room apartment, not far from the Queensboro Bridge in New York City, a young boy with black hair and beautiful, sea-green eyes was woken from a happy dream by the sound of his mother's voice.

"Percy! Time to wake up, kiddo! Breakfast!"

Percy sat up in his bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The boy gazed around his room blearily, stopping when his eyes landed on the calendar that hung on his wall. Percy grinned widely, threw the covers off himself and bolted from the room. He raced into the kitchen and skid to a halt, grinning even wider when he spotted his mother.

Sally stood next to the kitchen table, a mouth turned up in a grin and a party hat on her head. "Happy birthday, Percy!" She swept her arms over the table, presenting a stack of blue pancakes with five candles perched on top, each with a small flame flickering on their wicks. Just to the side of this unusually colored breakfast, sat three boxes wrapped in shiny blue paper.

"Yay! Blue pancakes! Thank you, mama." Percy said as he slid into his seat and grabbed his fork. Sally's chest grew warm at the sight of her five-year-old little boy and the sparkle of happiness in his ever-powerful eyes. Percy closed his eyes and appeared deep in thought for a moment before opening them again and blew out the candles.

Sally kissed the top of Percy's head and ruffled his hair playfully as he dug into the stack of blue, fluffy cakes. "You're welcome, sweetheart. Now eat up, I have to open the store in an hour and you need to get dressed. Mrs. Norris is with her family today and she won't be able to watch you while I'm at work, so you'll be with me today, Percy."

"Okay, mama." Percy replied around a mouthful. Sally raised an eyebrow and regarded her son with an expectant look.

"What have I said about talking with your mouth full?" Sally chastised.

Percy grinned sheepishly and swallowed his food. "To always swallow first before speaking."

Sally smiled and nodded, ruffling her son's hair again. "That's right. Now, I have to get ready for work. Put your plate in the sink when you've finished and go get dressed. Okay, sweetheart?"

Percy nodded and swallowed another bite of pancakes. "Okay, mama."

With one last smile to her little boy, Sally left the kitchen and walked through the small living room, and down the hall to her bedroom. As she dressed for work at the candy store, a wave of sadness washed over her. Poseidon had yet to show for Percy's birthday. Oh, Sally was well aware the day had only just begun, that there was still a chance he might visit… and yet… Sally knew that he wouldn't… or couldn't make it. She understood the duties Poseidon held, understood that he was bound by his responsibilities and the Ancient Laws...but, he promised to visit. Promised to be in his son's life. In the five years since Percy had been born, Poseidon had only visited three times, sometimes for less than a day. Sally sat heavily on the edge of her bed as anger swelled within her and angry tears tracked down her face.

"Mama?"

Sally straightened and quickly wiped away her tears. She looked up to see a concerned looking Percy standing in the doorway, dressed in his blue jeans, black t-shirt, and a deep-blue hoodie. Sally gave him a watery smile. "Hi, sweetheart."

Percy entered the room and sat on the bed next to his mother and hugged her. "Mama why are you crying?"

Sally wrapped an arm around her son and held him close. "Because I'm sad, sweetheart."

"Why are you sad?"

"I miss someone, Percy. Someone who was very special to me, and he hasn't visited me in a long time." Sally explained, the pain and sadness clear in her voice.

"Who was he, mama?" Percy asked quietly, his small finger tracing one of the buttons on his mother's work shirt.

Sally almost told him… almost. She made a decision then; the identity of Percy's father would be kept a secret for now. Why tease the innocent little boy with the idea of his father and Percy never able to meet him? No, she'd keep it from him for now, and when he was old enough to go to camp… then she would tell Percy.

"Just an old friend, sweetheart. Someone I loved very much." Mother and son sat there in silence for a moment, taking comfort in one another's embrace. Sally sniffled one last time and smiled down at her son. "Thank you, sweetheart. I love you."

Percy grinned back at his mother, happy that he had made her feel better. "I love you too, mama."

Sally smiled, ruffling his hair, grinning wider when Percy giggled. "Now, let's get going kiddo. Time to go sell candy and make others as happy as you've made me."

Percy jumped up and raced out the door with a happy shout, likely headed towards the front door to put his shoes on. Sally smiled and shook her head in amusement. It filled her with happiness to see her little boy able to switch from being sad to being full of joy. She stood, from the bed, grabbed her jacket, and followed Percy down the hall, the smile on her face still present.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 _Later that night_

"Perseus."

Percy smiled at the voice that he knew so well. Its familiar baritone comforting and kind as always. The boy turned and came face to face with the owner of said voice. Chaos stood before Percy with a warm smile on his face. The Primordial crouched when his son began racing towards him and he scooped the boy up in a tight hug.

"Hi, daddy." Percy said happily, his arms wrapped around Chaos' neck.

Chaos smiled and pulled away to look at Percy. "Hello, my son. Happy birthday! Did you have a good day with your mother?"

Percy nodded enthusiastically, a broad grin on his face. "Yup! I got to spend the day with mama in the candy shop and she let me take some of the blue candies home for dessert!"

"She did? Well wasn't that kind of her," Chaos said, amused by his son's excitement. The Primordial snapped his fingers and their surroundings began to shift and swirl and a moment later the two found themselves in a smaller version of Chaos' throne room. Chaos approached the copy of his throne and sat with Percy on his lap. "What else did you get up to today?"

"I got to help mama put candy on the shelves and mama helped me with my alphabets." Percy chattered excitedly, practically bouncing in Chaos' lap.

"Did she? What have you learned so far?"

"Mama helped me learn using candy. 'A' is for Atomic Fireballs, and 'B' is for Banana Creams, and 'C' is for…"

Chaos smiled and nodded as his son recited the English Alphabet, giving an example of candy for all twenty-six letters. The Primordial couldn't remember a time when he was happier than sitting with his son, listening intently as he talked about the events of his birthday. It saddened the ancient being, to think about his immortal children and how they compare to the boy that sat on his knee, happily chatting away.

"...and 'Z' is for Zagnut." Percy finished proudly, having only stumbled twice in his explanation.

"Very good, Perseus! I'm very proud of you." Percy grinned at the praise and Chaos continued. "Now that you know your 'ABC's', I'll have to teach you your 'Alpha, Beta, Gamma'."

Percy's brow furrowed, and he gave Chaos a confused look. "What's 'Alpha, Beta, Gramma'?"

Chaos chuckled and corrected him. "Gam-uh. It is the Greek alphabet, Perseus. All the Greek children should learn it, as it is just as important as the 'ABC's'. We shall go over each letter and each name every night starting tomorrow. We'll do one letter per night, and if you learn quickly, I will tell you one story per letter. Deal?"

"Deal," Percy agreed, grinning excitedly. Chaos stuck out his hand, and Percy took hold of it in a surprisingly firm grip, and the two shook on it.

"I thought I heard my favorite little nephew." A new voice called out from the other side of the room.

Percy perked up and spotted a woman with obsidian skin and silvery-white hair. "Auntie Order!"

The little tyke slid off his father's knee and raced up to the smiling woman. Order scooped Percy up and spun him around, making the little boy giggle. "My word, you've gotten so big! I won't be able to pick you up before too long." Order teased, poking the boys belly, eliciting a round of laughter from the tyke.

"Auntie Order! Stop it!" Percy shouted through his laughter, squirming about in the woman's arms.

"Stop? Why would I stop? This is too much fun!"

"Ple-ease, Auntie!" Percy panted, still giggling and squirming.

Order sighed dramatically and ceased her assault on the tyke's ribs. "Oh, very well."

Percy took several deep breaths, his cheeks flushed and smile on his face. The boy leaned into his Aunt and wrapped his arms around her neck. "Hello, Auntie Order. I missed you."

"I missed you too, Perseus. Happy birthday, kiddo!"

Chaos approached his sister and son, smiling warmly. "Hello, sister. How was your day?"

Order shrugged, her arms still supporting the happy tyke. "Same old, same old, brother. Stopped a plague, wiped out a village or two. Kept the balance. The usual."

Chaos rolled his eyes, still smiling. "Of course." The Primordial then turned to his son when Percy held out his arms. Order passed him to her brother and Chaos looked to the boy. "Perseus, we want to give you a gift, a birthday present."

"But, daddy," Percy started, a small smile on his face. "You didn't have to give me a present. I'm happy just to see you and Auntie."

"Isn't he just the sweetest thing?" Order cooed, standing on the tips of her toes and kissing Percy's cheek.

Chaos nodded in agreement. "Yes. He'll be a good man, always generous and never greedy. Perseus we _want_ to give you a gift." He crouched and set Percy on his feet, Order moving to his side as he did so. When Chaos straightened, the two Primordials raised their hands and began to chant in ancient Greek, and an orb appeared between them, glowing softly as they spoke. When the chant ended, the orb faded away and in its place floated a bracelet. The bracelet was a series of small obsidian and marble orbs, patterned black and white, and held together with a woven string of gold and silver. A charm hung from the bracelet, half black and half white, the two colors swirling towards one another in the shape of bent teardrops. Within the fatter ends of the teardrops sat a dot, opposite of the color that surrounded it.

"Wow!" Percy gasped, mesmerized by the magic his father and Aunt performed and the bracelet that floated before him. "What is it?"

Order grabbed the charm bracelet and crouched before Percy, motioning him to hold out his arm. As she fastened the piece of jewelry around his wrist, Order explained what it was. "This is a special bracelet, blessed by your father and me. The charm is what is called the 'Yin and Yang'. When you wear it, your father or I will be able to watch over you. If you are ever in danger, or if you are ever lost, simply make a circle on the charm with your finger and one of us will come to help you."

Percy was wide-eyed by the time his Aunt had finished explaining, and he reached out to examine the series of beads and pendant. The moment his fingers came in contact with one of the beads, he felt a warmth and a familiar sensation wash over him, bringing a contented smile to his face.

"That is another special ability that I added," Chaos said softly, kneeling next to his son. He set a large hand on the boy's shoulder and pointed to the black bead Percy had touched. "If you ever feel sad, or if I am away for too long, or you simply just miss your Aunt and I, touch one of the black beads or one of the white beads and you will feel our essence, our power. We will feel it too and visit you that night in your dreams."

"That doesn't mean summon us every single night young man!" Order said sternly, wagging a finger at the now sheepish looking boy. "Your father and I have jobs to do, that's the only reason we can't visit every night."

Percy nodded with a smile. "Yes, Auntie Order."

Chaos glanced at the stygian iron watch on his wrist and smiled sadly. He looked back up at his son and ruffled his hair. "It's almost time to wake up, Perseus."

"Aww man!" Percy whined, his lower lip sticking out in a pout.

"You had best tuck that lip back in young man. Otherwise a flock of Stymphalian birds will land on it and roost." Order chastised, grinning when the boy's eyes widened, and he did as she said.

Chaos chuckled before pulling his son into a tight hug. "Be good for your mother. You start kindergarten in a few days, so make sure to be on your best behavior."

Percy wrapped his arms around his father's neck and returned the embrace. "I will, daddy. I promise."

The two broke their embrace and Order scooped up the little tyke in a warm hug. "We'll see you in a few days, my little warrior. Then you can tell us all about what you did at school. How does that sound?"

"Okay! I love you, Auntie Order."

Order smiled and tightened her embrace around the boy. "I love you too, Perseus."

Percy leaned away from his Aunt and grinned up at his father. "I love you too, daddy."

"And I love you, son." Chaos glanced at his watch again and reached out for his son. He set Percy on his feet and ruffled his hair. "We'll see you in a few days, Perseus. Remember to call if you need us and be a good boy."

"I promise." Percy said with a serious look on his face, eager to make his father proud and not let him down.

"Good," Chaos said with a smile. "Good bye, Perseus. And good morning."

And with those final words, Percy's world spun, and the room swirled, disappearing, and taking with it two of the most important people in his young life.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 **I love little Percy! He's such a sweet kid. The next few chapters will be very similar to this one, but they won't all take place on his birthday. To add to that, not only will Percy be learning the Greek Alphabet, Chaos and Order will begin training him soon. Also, keep that bracelet in mind. That'll play a big role in future chapters.**

 **Aguas Tranquilas is Spanish for Calm Waters. (If I'm wrong I apologize) I thought it fitting that that would be the apartment building Percy lives in (apartment not canon).**

 **Also yes, this was in fact a demigod dream. Being the creator of the universe, Chaos can visit whenever he wants.**

 **Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	4. Ch 4: Christmas Chaos

**Happy 4th of July/Independence Day!**

 **I know, I know. I'm late on the update, please don't hurt me! I'm so glad you all liked the last chapter, I'm having a lot of fun writing this story. Sooo, time for some Review Response!**

 **Bruce77: Brucie boy, I thank you for your rather...** _ **exuberant**_ **review. Made me all warm 'n fuzzy inside. And as for your harmless (hopefully so) threat, well… challenge accepted. Thank you!**

 **10101: You read my mind and your wish shall be granted. Thank you.**

 **GUEST a.k.a. PJOSUPERFAN: Thank you very much! :)**

 **Enjoy!**

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 _History Section, Chaos' Library_

 _Chaos Dreamscape_

 _December 23rd, 2003_

"Erymanthian Boar?"

"Native to Mount Erymanthos in the Arcadian Highlands. Captured by Heracles as his Fourth Labor."

"Correct. Echidna?"

"Half woman, half snake. Is said to be the mother of monsters and the wife of Typhon. Killed by Argus Panoptes, the hundred-eyed giant who served Hera."

"Very good! And last for tonight, the Manticore."

Percy sighed inwardly that his review lesson had finally come to an end. For the last five years, since Percy's fifth birthday, Chaos and Order had taken turns every other night teaching the boy everything they could about ancient Greece, including the mythology, the alphabetical and numerical components as well as the monsters and heroes of the old days. Chaos had been grilling his son for the last few hours, in an illusion of the History Section of his library, on the most dangerous of monsters, and who had defeated them in the old stories. Percy furrowed his brow and stuck out his tongue in concentration, his fingers drumming the table top in an unconsciously melodious rhythm.

"The Manticore was… a fierce beast with the... body of a lion, the head of a man, and the tail of a scorpion. It is said the stinger of the Manticore was lined with... barbs that could be used as projectiles, and that its poison was one of the deadliest toxins in the world." Percy recited proudly, grinning up at his father.

Chaos smiled and closed the journal he'd been using to record Percy's progress and current knowledge. "Very good, Perseus. I believe that covers everything on monsters. Now, a quick recap. Laestrygonian Giants?"

"Dim-witted and slow, but strong enough to fell redwoods."

"Good. Dracaenae?"

"Quick and agile, typically wield spears and team together to form phalanx. Their drawback and weakness are their serpentine legs."

"Excellent, and what about hellhounds?"

Percy looked up and to the left for a moment, trying to remember what he'd read about the beasts. "Strong and fast, said to be descended from Cerberus. They are vicious pack animals, mostly feared due to their large size and terrifying appearance."

"I think you've got it, Perseus." Chaos said, the proud look on his face still present. "Now, I believe your Aunt is waiting for you in the gym, best we not keep her waiting. Lest the old lady blow a gasket." The Primordial grinned mischievously, making Percy giggle.

As the two stood and walked to the double doors of the library's exit, Percy took his father's hand. "Better not let Auntie Order hear you say that. You know how she gets when she's mad."

"Ah, I think I can handle her." Percy looked up at his father with a look that said 'yeah, right'. Chaos chuckled and led Percy through the door and down the familiar obsidian and marble hallway to another door set halfway down the hall on the left. The two opened the door to find themselves in a large, wide-open area with all manner of exercise equipment stationed around the room, granted all this equipment was all for show as one couldn't build muscle mass in their sleep.

"Well it's about time. I thought you'd take up the whole night with your little history lessons." Order called from the sparring ring, hands on her hips and an eyebrow cocked.

"Apologies, sister. Perseus has just finished his lessons on monsters and heroes and I felt it best to do a little review." Chaos explained, a ghost of a smile on his face.

Order's stern expression softened a little and a gleam of pride entered her eyes. "Did he now? Very well done, Percy! I'm very proud."

Percy blushed at the praise but grinned nonetheless. "Thank you, Auntie. Are we working with swords today?"

The Primordial goddess smirked inwardly at the boy's not-so-subtle eagerness. "Yes, Percy. Today we will practice with swords. More specifically, the sword of the ancient Spartan Officers. Do you remember what this sword is called?"

"The… Spartha?"

"Close. It is called the 'Spa-tha'. The Spatha was issued to infantry soldiers and was valued, not only for its wide blade, which was useful for slashing and hacking, but also for its narrowed point, allowing the soldiers to pierce and penetrate the leather armor that was more commonly used at the time." Order waved her hand and a three-and-a-half-foot long officer's sword appeared in her palm. Sword was odd in design, the knuckle guard was split, with a pointed end bent at a ninety-degree angle coming from the pommel and the cross guard with a two-inch gap between the two points. The base of the blade was narrowed and widened a few inches father up the blade to come to a sharp forty-five-degree angle and continue on to become wider, before tapering off to a rather dangerous looking point.

This truly was a sword worthy of a Spartan Officer. Or a Spartan King. Percy gazed at the blade in awe and reverence. "King Leonidas wielded one of _these_?"

Chaos smiled, amused with his son's reaction to the sword. "He did, my son. The greatest King Sparta ever had was very skilled with this weapon. He understood the art of swordplay and respected it as all great warriors should."

"Come, nephew. Let us begin." Order said, motioning Percy to enter the ring. When Percy had taken his position, Order waved her hand once again and summoned a duplicate of the blade she held, this one being almost a foot-and-a-half shorter and more suited a boy Percy's size.

The awed boy took hold of the blades grip and smiled as if in a daze. He took a few swings and was surprised at how natural the sword felt in his hand. The blade was well balanced, and the grip seemed to mold to the curves of his palm. "It feels… it feels perfect."

Order smiled and nodded. "That is a good sign. Any warrior be it man, woman, or child, who feels comfortable with the weapon he bares can trust it to defend his or her life. The sword is not just a tool of war, Perseus. The sword is an extension of yourself, forged not only to cut and slash, but to defend and protect. If I am to train you, Perseus, you must learn to respect your weapon. Understand that its purpose is not to hurt, but to defend. Do you understand?"

Percy faced his Aunt and nodded, his expression displaying a seriousness unusual for a boy his age. "I understand, Auntie. I promise to train hard, and to treat my weapon properly."

The two Primordials smiled proudly at the young boy, amazed by the maturity and seriousness he displayed. Order then smirked and snapped her fingers; the evening dress she usually wore shimmered and morphed to become a white tank-top, olive-green combat pants, and black combat boots. "We'll start off with basic combat stances and sword techniques. We only have a couple hours before you need to wake up, so," the Primordial goddess dropped into a combat stance and grinned at her nephew. "Let's begin.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 _Aguas Tranquilas Apartments_

 _Manhattan, New York City, NY_

 _Christmas Eve Morning, 2003_

 **Beep. Beep. Beep.**

Percy furrowed his brow and buried his face into his pillow, trying to drown out the sound that had woke him.

 **Beep. Beep. Beep.**

"Ugh," Percy groaned, realizing the annoying sound was his alarm clock going off. He reached out blindly with one hand, desperately trying to silence that irritating beeping.

 **Beep. Beep. Beep.**

"Oh for the love of…" Percy mumbled, lifting his head from his pillow and searching blearily for the infernal 'wake-up device'. After a few seconds of searching, his fingers found the button and the beeping stopped. Percy sighed with relief and laid his head back on his pillow, eyes closing and a smile on his face.

"Percy! Time to get up, Kiddo!"

Percy groaned into his pillow but relented and threw the covers off with a sigh. No matter what day it was, or how early it may be, the raven-haired boy never ignored his mother. He rose from his mattress and exited his bedroom, dragging his feet down the hall and towards the delicious smell of bacon and waffles that permeated the air. The freshly woken boy, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, entered the kitchen and yawned widely. "Good morning, mom."

Sally looked up from the pan of bacon, a spatula in her hand and a smile on her face. "Good morning, sweetheart. How'd you sleep?"

"Good." Percy replied, taking is seat at the kitchen island and eliciting another yawn.

"Must have, your hair is sticking up all over the place." Sally commented with a grin, reaching over to attempt to smooth her son's extreme case of bed-head.

"Mo-om! Quit it!" Percy complained, despite trying to hide a small smile at the affectionate gesture.

Sally smiled knowingly but relented and set a plate of waffles and bacon in front of Percy. "Eat up, Kiddo. Courtney called in sick today, so Mrs. Parkman asked me to open the store and work for a few hours."

Percy frowned, picking up his knife and fork and cutting into his waffles. He understood the necessity for his mother to have a job and understood that sometimes she'd have to work inconvenient hours, but his young mind didn't have to like it. "But it's Christmas Eve, mom."

"I know, sweetheart, but it's just for a few hours. I'll be back at noon and then we can go to the park and play in the snow. Deal?"

Percy grinned and nodded. "Deal."

Sally kissed the top of Percy's raven hair and smiled. "I'm have to change. Plate in the sink when you're done."

"Okay, mom." Percy said, munching on a strip of bacon. Sally left the kitchen to change in her room, leaving Percy deep in thought.

The raven-haired boy pondered on the dreams he'd had for the last several years. Every night when he'd close his eyes, his dreams seemed to take him to places he'd never been. Frustratingly enough, he could never remember the events of the dream, aside from who was in it. Within the foggy rooms and distorted locations, two people stood out as clear as day. One was a tall, imposing man with snow-white skin, pitch-black hair, and black eyes with pupils that seemed to shine like stars. His voice, though powerful, was always calm and comforting.

The other was a woman just a few inches shorter than the man. She seemed to be totally opposite in appearance when compared to the man. Her skin was as dark as a moonless night, her long, braided hair was as white as freshly fallen snow, and her eyes were white with irises that resembled Black Holes, yet they radiated a warmth and kindness that put Percy at ease with her intimidating appearance.

As always he never remembered the contents of his dreams, save for the two people that seemed to dominate these dreams. The dark-haired man he subconsciously knew as 'Dad' and the white-haired woman he referred to as 'Auntie', but when he concentrated on their names they always seemed to sit on the edge of his memory, there but not quite clear.

Percy wondered if maybe these people were just figments of his imagination, like when he told his Second-Grade teacher, Mrs. Carson, that he had seen a man with hooves and legs like a goat, and she said he had an 'active imagination'. The thing that bothered Percy, was he was almost positive that he had actually seen the goat-man, and not some imaginary friend or trick image. So what did it all mean? Were the dreams just that, dreams? Or were they memories? Unfortunately, Percy's young mind wasn't yet capable of advanced mental processes like deciphering dreams.

So, for now, Percy resigned himself to what little facts he knew; the two people in his dream were obviously important to him, he didn't know who they were by name, but that they were family, and one his subconscious called 'dad'.

Sally entered the kitchen to grab her purse and keys and stopped in her tracks when she saw Percy, deep in thought with his brow furrowed in contemplation. She crossed the room and gently set a hand on his shoulder and spoke softly. "Everything okay, kiddo?"

Percy jumped slightly, having not noticed his mother return to the kitchen. He looked up into her concerned face and smiled, choosing not to worry his mother about his strange dreams. "I'm all right, mom. Have a good day at work." Percy said, wrapping his arms around Sally in a warm hug.

Sally smiled and bent over to plant a kiss on the top of Percy's head. "Thanks, sweetheart." Percy let go, allowing his mother to start towards the front door. "I'll be back at noon. Be good and call me if you need something. I love you."

"Love you too!" Percy called as Sally opened and shut the door, leaving the ten-year-old to his own devices. Percy waited a few moments for his mother to lock the door and listened as her footsteps receded down the hallway.

He walked to the living room and plopped down on the couch, remote control in hand and a happy smile on his face. It was time for cartoons. More specifically, Christmas cartoons. This had to be Percy's favorite time of the year, with all the joy and merriment the holidays represented. If someone were to meet Percy for the first time, they would think him a little strange, with an unusual personality. Truth be told, Percy was just a kind-hearted boy who saw what most people ignored. Despite his young age, he was very observant and could plainly see that most people were blind to the goodness in the world, going about their lives selfishly and ignorantly. He could also see, deep down, just how lonely, and sad these very people were, and he didn't want to be like these people. So, the unusualness people saw in the raven-haired ten-year-old was in fact his humanity, his selflessness, his subconscious desire to make even a single person happy.

Percy was never vain or greedy. Sure he loved getting presents and candy - what ten-year-old doesn't? - but he never wanted. He asked politely and was never upset if he was denied, he appreciated all that he had and made an effort to make sure his mother was never sad. Society had tagged Percy as strange, but the truth was he just wasn't a naturally angry person, he didn't conform to the norms of society.

Percy sighed, half-watching as the Grinch wrapped Cindy Lou Who in wrapping paper, rolling one of the beads of his bracelet between his fingers. He really hoped he dreamed again tonight, even if he wouldn't remember it. Christmas morning always left him waking up with a smile that rivaled the Sun and a warm feeling in his heart, and not just because it was Christmas Morning. The raven-haired boy shook himself from his thoughts and focused on the movie, a ghost of a smile on his face.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 _Later that Night_

 _Chaos' Dreamscape_

"Perseus."

Like every nightly visit, though he never remembered, everything came rushing back and the blanks were filled in. Percy spun around and found himself in a sitting room of sorts. A large fireplace set in the wall to his left was lit, a cheerful fire crackled within, and there were three stockings hung from the marble mantle, each one embroidered with either Percy's, Chaos', or Order's name. In front of the fireplace was an oaken coffee table and in front of that was a long, plush, comfortable looking black cloth couch with white cushions. The owner of the voice was seated upon the couch alongside a beautiful woman. Percy grinned and raced across the room to jump and land on the man's lap. "Dad!"

Chaos chuckled and wrapped his son in a warm hug. "Merry Christmas, Perseus."

"Merry Christmas, dad." Percy pulled back and launched himself towards the woman, wrapping her in a hug as well. "Merry Christmas, Auntie Order!"

Order smiled warmly and kissed the top of Percy's head. "Merry Christmas, Percy."

"How was your day, Perseus?" Chaos asked when the two separated.

"It was really fun! Mom had to work for a few hours, but when she got home we went ice skating in Central Park. I fell a lot, but mom helped keep me on my feet." Percy said excitedly.

Order mock gasped, hiding true concern. "Oh my! Are you alright, Percy? Nothing broken?"

Percy giggled and shook his head. "I'm okay, Auntie. Mom took me to get hot chocolate from her favorite coffee store and we walked around Rockefeller Center and looked at the big tree they set up. Then we went home and sat on the couch with a big fluffy blanket and watched Christmas movies until bedtime."

"It sounds like you had a big day." Chaos said with a smile, pleased that his son had a happy Christmas. "I hope you've got room in your busy schedule to spend the rest of Christmas Eve with your father and your Aunt?"

"Of course I do, dad." Percy replied, absolutely beaming.

Order stood and clapped her hands. "In that case, we're going to do all the fun stuff you would usually do this time of year. Candy, presents, Christmas stories, board games. The works. How's that sound, kiddo?"

Percy jumped off the couch and nodded excitedly. "Yes! That sounds awesome, Auntie Order!"

"Then we had best get started." Chaos boomed, standing and snapping his fingers. His usual three-piece suit shimmered and glowed and began morphing into a big black coat and black pants, both trimmed in snow-white fur. A big bushy beard grew to his chest and his cheeks took on a rosy tint. Chaos spread his arms wide in presentation and turned to his sister and son. "How do I look?"

Oder crossed her arms and smirked. "Like Santa Claus started shopping at Hot Topic."

Chaos smiled smugly and nodded. "Good, that's what I was shooting for. Red _really_ isn't my color."

Percy giggled while Order rolled her eyes. The three shook off their laughter when Order snapped her fingers and conjured a pile of board games, Holiday Music, festive treats, and a fully decorated tree, complete with twinkle lights, tinsel, and a golden star topper. Percy spent the night playing games, singing along with the songs and eating cookies with his father and Aunt, laughing and smiling and enjoying every moment with his small family.

After several hours of fun and games, the three began to wind down, presenting the perfect opportunity to pass out presents and stockings.

"But… I didn't bring you guys anything." Percy said sadly, frowning a little.

"Chaos hugged his son and patted his back reassuringly. "Perseus, you don't need to give your Aunt and I anything. Just having you here, spending the holiday with us, if gift enough."

Percy smiled slightly but frowned again when a thought crossed his mind. "Dad?"

Chaos frowned, hearing the confusion and sadness in his son's voice. "Yes, Perseus?"

"Why don't I remember my dreams? Why don't I remember your names when I wake up?"

Chaos froze and cast a glance at guilty looking Order. They didn't think that Percy would realize so soon that they had been clouding Percy's memory with the Mist. The co-creator of the Universe sighed and sat on the couch, motioning his son to sit beside him. When he did, Chaos put an arm around his shoulder and held him close. "Do you remember all those stories about the Greek Gods and the heroes of the ancient times?"

"Yes."

"Well… those gods are real, Perseus. And despite how most of the stories end, not all of those gods are kind or nice. Some are selfish, arrogant, and ignorant. They care only for themselves and see anyone who is stronger than themselves as a threat." Chaos looked down at his son. "You are a very special child, Perseus. You will be very strong when you get older, because you are my son."

Percy's brow furrowed in confusion. "They won't like me because you're my dad? Why?"

"Your Aunt and I made the universe, Perseus. Every tree, every rock. From the Sun to the Moon, the stars and the planets. We created it all, because we are very powerful. Some of the gods fear those who are more powerful than them, and fear can be a dangerous thing. If the gods were to find out, before it was time to reveal who you are, that you are my son, they may try to hurt you. That is why you forget your dreams, Perseus. So that you can be safe, and the gods won't know who we are yet."

"Oh." Percy simply said, most of his confusion fading away. He looked up suddenly with a hopeful, yet hesitant, expression. "Will I remember you someday?"

Order answered this time, pulling Percy onto her lap and wrapping him in a tight hug. "Of course you will, Percy. When the time is right, we will visit you and list the fog, and you will remember everything. We love you, kiddo, don't think for a moment that we'd let you forget us."

Percy was quiet for a moment, content to be in his Aunt's embrace. "When will I remember?"

"Soon, Perseus," Chaos assured. "Very soon."

"Okay." Percy said, smiling as the warm feeling he always got around his father and aunt returned. Having been reassured, the young demi-protogenoi was content with the thought that he would one day remember everything about his small family, and finished the night huddled around the fire with his father and aunt on either side, sipping hot cocoa and listening to the Primordials regale with stories of ancient times.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 **Alright folks, that's a wrap on Percy before Camp Half-Blood. I thought it fitting that this story started with Christmas, and our time with young Percy ends with Christmas. Next will follow canon a bit with some of my own twists and turns. Hope you guys enjoyed! Don't forget to R &R!**

 **Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	5. Ch 5: Greek Gods and Mrs Dodds?

**Alright boys and girls here comes chapter 5. Fair warning, a lot of this chapter will borrow from the first couple chapters of The Lightning Thief. Any dialogue that's in Italics is being quoted from the book. Now, I know Yancy Academy was originally a boarding school for troubled youths, but I'm making it a regular boarding school, considering Percy isn't a troubled youth.**

 **Now for some review response (these are gettin' good!):**

 **101101: A lot of good points and I thank you for the ideas, but I may not use all of them. Training his powers and revealing the fact he has two dads will take place soon. Thanks for reading!**

 **Bruce77: Brucie-boy (I like the name btw, I always get that image of the massive Great White from Finding Nemo, total badass. Anyway…) thanks very much for the compliment. I've read dozens of fluff pieces from other fanfic categories and I guess I'm just a natural when it comes to that sorta thing. Also there will be NO harems, I promise you. Just wouldn't fit with this story. Gracias mi amigo!**

 **Charlee56: I'm very glad you're enjoying the story so far. Thank you very much.**

 **Everyone Else: Thank you all of those I didn't get to! Your support means a lot!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 _Metropolitan Museum of Art_

 _Ancient Greek and Roman Exhibit_

 _May 12th, 2005_

Percy gazed around at the exhibits with wide eyes and a small smile. Today was the day of the Yancy Academy field trip to the ancient history museum, a day Percy had been looking forward to for weeks. His head swiveled left and right as he followed the class and their teacher, Mr. Brunner, admiring the statues, pottery, and weapons and absorbing as much information as he could about each one. Hobbling along next to him was Percy's best friend, a boy named Grover Underwood. He was an odd kid, tall and gangly with the beginnings of a scraggly beard despite being only thirteen. He had brown hair and brown eyes, and he had a leg condition which required him to use crutches to help him get around.

Grover grinned at Percy and nudged him playfully. "Percy slow down, you keep looking around like that and your head'll fly off."

"Oh stuff it, Grover." Percy grinned back, still drinking in the plethora of information all around him. "I just really like ancient Greece. The artwork, the weapons, the stories. It all just… makes sense."

Grover just smiled and nodded and the two continued on with the rest of the class, part of a handful of the kids actually listening as Mr. Brunner explained each statue and mosaic they stopped at. Mr. Brunner was Percy's favorite teacher. He was a middle-aged man with thinning, brown hair, intense, brown eyes, and a bushy beard. He required the use of a wheelchair, but it didn't seem to hinder him. He was a kind man and had a love for the subject that he taught; ancient Greece and Latin.

"Mr. Jackson."

Percy stopped and turned when he heard Mr. Brunner call his name, and noticed the class staring and snickering at him. Apparently Mr. Brunner had called his name a few times and Percy hadn't heard him.

"Yes, Mr. Brunner?" Percy asked sheepishly.

Brunner stared at Percy with an amused expression and gestured to the stone stele the class had stopped in front of. " _Perhaps you could tell us what this picture represents_?"

Percy turned his eyes to examine the carved stele before them. Carved into the stone was a man with a great beard, and eyes that seemed to radiate madness. Cradled in the man's hands was what seemed to be a newborn child, and just to the left of the man was a woman who seemed to be looking on with a sad and horrified expression. "It's a depiction of Kronos devouring his children while his wife Rhea looks on in horror."

"Very good, Mr. Jackson." Brunner praised with a smile. He turned back to the class and Percy idly noticed that Brunner seemed to avoid looking at the stone carving. "Kronos was once the King of a race of immortals, who predated the Gods, known as the Titans. When he was told a prophecy that one of Kronos' children would be his downfall, the Titan King devoured five of his six children only moments after they were born. Rhea, mother of these six children, begged her parents Gaea and Ouranos to hide her away so that she may have her last child.

"Zeus was born not long after and was raised in a cave in Crete. When he was old enough, Rhea forced Kronos to regurgitate their five children, and Zeus challenged his father. Taking up the Titan King's scythe, the god killed his father and diced him into pieces before casting his remains into Tartarus." Brunner paused when a girl by the name of Nancy Bobofit, a rather nasty, redheaded girl who constantly picked on Grover because he was different, mumbled to a girl standing next to her.

" _Like we're going to use this in real life. Like it's going to say on our job application, 'Please explain why Kronos ate his kids.'"_

" _And why, Mr. Jackson,"_ Brunner said, looking at Percy, " _to paraphrase Miss Bobofit's excellent question, does this matter in real life?_ "

" _Busted,_ " Grover snickered quietly.

" _Shut up,_ " Nancy hissed, face blushing almost as bright as her hair.

Percy pondered for a moment on Brunner's question. Truth be told, he wasn't really sure how it mattered in real life, his ADHD, although manageable, could be a hindrance on his thought process in situations like these. Percy furrowed his brow in concentration, thinking hard about what a suitable answer would be, when something in his head clicked. He remembered something that he didn't remember hearing. "Fear of the unknown can cause you to take drastic, and sometimes foolish, decisions. Kronos acted drastically and swallowed his kids whole, this forced his sixth child to take revenge and kill him."

Brunner smiled and nodded, satisfied that one of his best students had given him a well-constructed answer. "Full credit, Mr. Jackson. As Mr. Jackson put it, fear can make a person act rashly, like swallowing your children, thus being fed a combination of mustard and wine, and then regurgitating said children before being diced into bite-sized pieces and tossed into an abyss. On that note, it's time for lunch! Let us head for the exit and we can eat out on the lawn."

As Percy and Grover turned to follow the class out of the exhibit Brunner called out, "Mr. Jackson. Could I have a word?"

Grover murmured that he'd meet him outside before hobbling towards the exit. Percy turned back to his teacher with a curious look on his face. "What's up, Mr. Brunner?"

"I wanted to tell you I'm very pleased with how well you seem to be doing in my class," Brunner replied with a smile. "You seem to take to the curriculum very quickly and I can't help but wonder if you might have studied ancient Greek legends before enrolling in Yancy Academy?"

Percy grinned at the praise and shook his head. "To be honest with you, Mr. Brunner, your class is my first experience with Greek history… that I can remember."

Brunner raised a brow at Percy's words. "That you remember?"

"Sometimes during quizzes or like when you asked me about the depiction of Kronos on the stele, I get this… I'm not even sure how to describe it, Mr. Brunner. I can look at a picture or hear a name of a Greek hero or monster or Titan, and somehow I just _know_ who or what it is. And, for some reason, I don't know how I know… what I know." Percy explained, his expression that of confusion. Brunner was quiet for a moment, pondering Percy's words and what they could mean.

Brunner cleared his throat, causing Percy to shake himself from his thoughts. "Well, despite how you know, you are doing very well. Keep up the good work, Mr. Jackson." Percy nodded his thanks. "Now, let us join the others for lunch, shall we?"

"I'll meet you out there, Mr. Brunner," Percy said and motioned with his thumb towards the men's room. Brunner smirked and nodded in understanding. Once Brunner had left Percy stepped into the restroom and came out a few minutes later to find a middle-aged woman admiring the stele of Kronos. Aside from Percy and the woman, the exhibit was empty.

The woman turned when she heard Percy exit the restroom, allowing him to examine her. She was a severe looking woman with greying hair, piercing, grey eyes and she, strangely enough, wore a black leather jacket. The woman smiled at Percy - he could have sworn he felt a chill run up his spine then - and approached him slowly. "I overheard you tell your teacher about this stele, you're a very smart young man."

"Um, thank you, Mrs.…."

"Dodds, honey. Mrs. Dodds." The woman - Dodds - replied, staring intently at Percy.

Percy shivered involuntarily under Dodds' gaze, feeling as though she was looking into his very soul. "R-right. Well, I need to get back to my class. Nice to meet you, ma'am."

Percy made to turn when Dodds grabbed his arm, in a rather strong grip, and smiled sweetly at him. "Oh but honey, I wanted to ask you a question," Dodds said.

Percy could have sworn he heard a growling noise. Almost immediately alarm bells started going off in his head and a sense of danger made the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. He gulped, "y-yes, ma'am?"

Like a switch had been flipped the sickly-sweet smile was gone and in its place was a look of pure anger. Her grey eyes darkened until they were pitch black and glowed red like hot coals. The hand that was clamped to Percy's arm became grey and leathery, her fingernails elongating into massive claws that looked like they could shred steel like it was tissue paper. Dodds growled in Percy's face, blasting him with a breath that smelled like brimstone and death. "Where is it!?"

Percy stared at the hag in horror and began struggling against her iron-like grip. "Where is what?"

That just seemed to piss Dodds off even more. "Don't play dumb with me, half-breed! Where is It, Lightning Thief!"

"Lady, I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Percy shouted, grabbing hold of her hand in a vain attempt to pull loose from her grasp. It was then the charm bracelet, that Percy had worn since he was five, caught his eye and a strangely familiar voice whispered in the back of his mind. _'The charm, Perseus! Pull on the charm!'_

With no other options available Percy grabbed the charm, which dangled from the wrist that Dodds had a hold of and pulled.

What happened next would be rather hazy for Percy. There was a bright flash of light, forcing him to close his eyes, and the charm seemed to come loose from the bracelet with no resistance, then it felt to Percy as if the charm were stretching and elongating in hand. When he opened his eyes the charm that had sat in his palm was replaced by a three-and-a-half-foot long Spartan Officer's sword. The blade was pitch black and seemed to glow with a whitish hue that radiated power.

Dodds had released Percy's hand and was transfixed by the blade, seemingly frozen in shock, as was Percy. The voice in his head almost screamed. _'Swing!'_

With skills he didn't remember, and agility he didn't know he possessed, Percy dropped to the ground, just in time to miss four sharp talons aimed at his face. Ensuring he had a good grip on the sword, Percy executed a perfect forward roll, and sprung to his feet to find himself behind Dodds. Before the hag even had a chance to react Percy swung with all his might and the blade made contact, slicing through Dodds' visage like a hot sword through butter. Dodds gave off one final screech before dissolving into a pile of golden sand and was blown away by a nonexistent wind.

Percy stood there, staring where Dodds had dissolved, breathing heavily and wondering if he'd gone insane. That was a fury. A real, honest to gods, fury. But… that was impossible. The Greek myths were just that; myths. There was no way… right?

His thoughts and gaze then shifted to the meter-long, pitch black sword grasped tightly in his hand. Or, what _was_ a meter-long, pitch-black sword. All he saw was the usual Yin-Yang symbol that he never took off. Had he imagined the whole thing? Maybe he was hallucinating. That's it; he'd missed lunch this morning in the cafeteria and he was dehydrated and hungry. That had to be it. Percy shook away his thoughts and clasped the charm back onto his bracelet before heading to the exit and out onto the museum lawn.

Grover looked up from munching on an apple to see Percy walking towards him with a thoughtful look. "Hey, Perce. You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Percy said, taking a seat next to Grover in the shade underneath a large oak tree. He opened his lunch and took out a sandwich. "Just hungry, I guess."

Grover cocked an eyebrow and examined Percy. He seemed distracted and kept glancing at the black and white charm he had on his wrist, as if reassuring himself that it was still there. Grover breathed deeply and tensed. His sensitive nose picked up on something that had the boy almost shaking in his shoes and choking on his apple. Fire. Brimstone. Death. The scent of a denizen of the Underworld. Grover turned his gaze to Mr. Brunner; the old man was looking at Percy with wide eyes and his nose was twitching slightly. He caught Grover's eyes and nodded. He smelt it too.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

The rest of the day passed by Percy in a blur and before he knew it, he was sitting on his bed in his dorm room, back at Yancy Academy, staring at the wall. The events that may, or may not, have happened at the museum kept flashing through his mind, and he kept asking himself whether or not he had imagined the whole thing.

Grover was sprawled out on his own bed, reading a mythology book that was propped open on his pillow. The boy yawned and swung his legs off the bed and grabbed his crutches. He turned to Percy, "hey Perce, I'm gonna grab a snack from the vending machines. You want anything?"

Percy shook his head. "No, I'm good. Thanks though."

"Alright," Grover said, pushing off the bed and hobbling to the door. "I'll be back in a few."

Percy picked up his own mythology book and attempted to finish the chapter he'd been putting off. Tomorrow was their final exam in Latin Class, and he really wanted to get a good mark for his favorite class. He made it halfway through the chapter before tossing the book aside. He needed to talk to someone about today. Maybe he should make a trip down to Mr. Brunner's office and see if he was in, and maybe get some reassurance that the events in the museum didn't happen. Percy left his dorm and ventured through the building and down the stairs to the faculty corridor. The offices were locked, and all the lights were out. Except the one in Brunner's office.

Percy approached the door and was about to knock when he heard voices inside. The one speaking was definitely Grover "... _worried about Percy, sir._ "

Percy froze.

He didn't normally eavesdrop, but it was hard not to when you hear your best friend talking about you with an adult.

"I mean, a Kindly One in the _museum!_ " Grover almost shouted. The familiar clacking of his crutches told Percy that he was pacing. " _Now that we know for sure, and_ they _know too-_ "

" _We would only make matters worse by rushing him._ " Brunner said. "It would only attract them more if he were made aware of what he is."

"But, sir, the summer solstice deadline-"

" _Will have to be resolved without him. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can_."

" _Sir, he_ saw _her_. Between the smell and the dust on his jacket, he had to have seen her…"

"All in his head," Brunner insisted. "The Mist over the students and teachers will convince him of such."

"If you say so," Grover relented.

"Trust me, Grover," Brunner said reassuringly. "Let's just focus on keeping Percy alive until this fall-"

Percy jerked and took a quick step back, causing his shoes to squeak on the linoleum.

Mr. Brunner went silent.

Percy backed down the hall as quickly and quietly as he could.

A shadow of someone much taller than his wheelchair-bound teacher slid across the window, holding was looked suspiciously like an archer's bow.

Percy slid a silently as possible into the first unlocked room he could find and tried to control his heavy breathing.

Seconds after the door clicked shut the slow sound of _clop-clop-clop_ could be heard, and there was a sound like an animal snuffling outside the door. A tall dark shape stopped in front of the fogged glass of the door, then moved on.

From down the hall, Percy heard Brunner speak, " _nothing,_ ' he murmured. "My have nerves been off since the winter solstice."

"Mine too," Grover said. "I could have sworn…"

"Go back to your dorm," Brunner told him. "You still have a long day of exams tomorrow."

" _Don't remind me._ "

Percy waited for what seemed like forever in the dark until the lights in Brunner's office went out and the voices faded away down the hall. He slipped out of the room and hurried back to his dorm to find Grover lounging on his bed with the mythology book. Grover looked up when Percy walked in the room, "hey Perce. Where'd you go?"

"Um… I went for a walk. Clear my head a little," Percy said, moving to sit on the edge of his bed.

Grover regarded his friend curiously for a moment before shrugging and turning back to his book. "You ready for Brunner's Latin Exam tomorrow?"

"Yeah… I think so," Percy said distractedly. "I'm gonna turn in. Night, Grover."

"Night, Perce."

Percy turned off his lamp and pulled the covers up around him. He lay like that for hours, his mind racing with even more thoughts. Grover and Brunner were talking about Percy behind his back and, apparently, they thought he was in danger. Finally exhaustion over took him, and Percy faded off into a restless sleep, mind swirling with dreams of Gods, Monsters, and Latin tests.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! What did you all think of Percy's sword? Pretty cool right? I felt, since he is more a son of Chaos than Poseidon, he deserves a special weapon. I'll explain the specifics of the blade in later chapters, don't wanna ruin the surprise!**

 **Until next time; Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	6. Ch 6: Big Socks and Montauk

**Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! I also hope I did the fight scene justice. Not much else to say, so let's move on to review response!**

 **Bruce77: You can call it; The Prince's New Groove. Lol, thanks a bunch for the compliment. I love an enthusiastic reviewer, really brightens and author's day, I tell you hwat. And I appreciate the offer! I do have occasional bouts of 'groove-loss' or 'loss of groove', so I may take you up on that offer some time. And to answer your question, I will ask one of my own.**

 **Do you want to go do karate in the garage? (Step Brothers Reference XD)**

 **Charlee56: Thanks very much, my friend. I have an eye for detail and I prefer my stories to be easy to read. I've read so many stories that are very good, but are hard to follow due to grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors, and I don't want TCK to be like that. I will admit that an error or two may slip through the cracks, but I attempt to run my chapters through with a fine-toothed comb so to speak. Thank you once again!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **TCK TCK TCK**

The next few weeks flew by and Percy found himself thinking less about monsters and Greek myths, and more about his end of semester exams. Brunner's Latin test had been a breeze, followed by Mr. Nicoll's English exam. Pre-Algebra with Mrs. Kerr had been challenging, but he felt he'd managed to scrape by with at least a 'B'-average. Percy was confident he'd end the school year on a good note and allowed himself to relax and push aside his thoughts about the events at the museum and outside Mr. Brunner's office.

The final week of the semester was upon Percy before he knew it, and he and Grover had already begun packing.

"Anything planned for your Summer, Perce?" Grover asked, folding a pile of shirts to be packed away in his suitcase.

"I'm not sure," Percy replied, tossing folded clothes in a duffle bag. "Mom talked about a trip to Montauk when I last talked to her, but that's if she can get the time off work."

"Well, I hope it all works out, Perce," Grover said with a smile.

Percy smiled and tossed the last of his clothes in the duffle. "Thanks, G-man. Need a hand packing?"

"Nah, I'm alright," Grover said, waving dismissively. "Just got some jeans and a few books left. Nothing I can't handle."

"Alright, I'm going to find Mr. Brunner real quick. I want to say bye before we leave tomorrow," Percy said, heading towards the door.

"Okay, see you later, Perce."

Percy left the dorm and made his way down the stairs to the faculty corridor and approached Mr. Brunner's door. After a few light raps on the door, Brunner's voice rang out, "come in!"

"Mr. Brunner?" Percy said when he opened the door.

"Ah, Mr. Jackson!" Brunner greeted with a smile. The wheelchair-bound Latin teacher was rolling around the room with a box in his lap, packing away various decorations and personal items. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"Just thought I'd stop by and say bye before we all leave tomorrow," Percy explained, taking a seat at one of the desks. "I also wanted to tell you I really enjoyed your class, Mr. Brunner. It really sucks I can't take it again as an elective next year."

Brunner chuckled and smiled sadly. "As am I, Mr. Jackson. I very much valued having you in my class this year." Brunner then made a show of looking around to make sure no one else was listening in and leaned in towards Percy. "Just between you and I, you were my favorite student. Your knowledge and understanding of Greek Mythology was very impressive."

"Thanks, Mr. Brunner," Percy said with a smile, blushing slightly at the praise. Brunner smiled and went back to gathering the knick-knacks from his desk. A thought crossed Percy's mind at that moment, one he'd been pushing aside in favor of studying. "Mr. Brunner?"

"Yes, Mr. Jackson?" Brunner asked distractedly, still sorting through various items.

"Are… are the myths… real?"

Brunner paused and glanced up at Percy with a curious expression. "What do you mean, Mr. Jackson?"

Percy hesitated for a brief moment before he continued.

"The other week, during the field trip, I ran into

someone… something. At least… I think I did. I'm still not sure if I imagined it or if it really happened."

Brunner looked concerned now and… slightly worried, if not nervous. "Oh? And what was it you thought you saw?"

"Well, sir… I thought I saw a Fury," Percy stated bluntly, looking Brunner dead in the eye.

Brunner's eyes widened briefly, before he regained his composure. But Percy saw right through it.

It was real.

With the Fury at the museum, Brunner and Grover talking about Percy being in danger, and the weird sword, his teacher's reaction to Percy seeing a Fury was all he needed to know that what he saw, was real.

"Though surprising, I must say it is understandable, believing you had seen a Fury," Brunner said reassuringly. "It was rather hot that day, if I remember correctly. Not to mention we had spoken of nothing but Gods and monsters for hours. You must have imagined it, Mr. Jackson."

Percy just stared at the man before he slowly nodded. "Of course, sir. Just my imagination." He stood and turned to leave.

"Perseus," Brunner called. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at his teacher. "Thank you for saying farewell to an old man. Have a good summer, my boy."

Percy nodded with a smile and left the room to return to his dorm. Brunner sighed heavily when his favorite student left and pulled a nondescript ball-point pen from his pocket. He stared down at the seemingly innocuous writing utensil with a worried and saddened expression. Turning the pen in his hand, he gazed upon the inscription etched into the pen in ancient Greek; Anaklusmos.

"One day, Perseus," Brunner muttered quietly. "One day you will understand."

He then returned the pen to his pocket and continued with the task of emptying his office. The term was ending, yes. But his task to teach those who must be taught was not over yet.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

Percy gazed out the window, deep in thought, as the bus trundled along.

Percy, along with Grover, had hopped the Greyhound bus to Queensboro just after lunch, and the pair were on their way home. Grover seemed to be fidgeting rather nervously, surveying the bus and its occupants every few minutes or so. Percy was too occupied with his thoughts to really take notice of his friends behavior. He was more concerned with his chat with Mr. Brunner the week before.

Brunner had seemed hesitant and nervous when Percy had asked about the Fury, like Percy had discovered some big secret. This only confirmed for him that something was going on, something to do with Gods and monsters and myths. Percy glanced at Grover and cocked an eyebrow curiously.

"Hey, Grover?"

"Yeah, Perce?" Grover replied, still looking about the bus.

"What's a Kindly One?" Percy's suspicions grew when he noticed Grover freeze and his forehead start to perspire.

"W-what are you talking about?" Grover asked nervously, refusing to make eye-contact.

"I heard you, Grover. You and Brunner the other night in his office. Something about Kindly Ones and the Summer Solstice?" Percy stated bluntly, slightly irritated that his best friend was keeping secrets from him.

"You… ? Um, well… I…" Grover stuttered. He sighed and pulled a worn-looking card from his pocket. "Here, just take this."

Percy took the card, shooting Grover a questioning look and read the card:

 _Grover Underwood_

 _Keeper_

 _Half-Blood Hill_

 _Long Island, New York_

 _(800) 009-0009_

"What's Half-"

"Don't say it out loud!" Grover said with a yelp. "It's my, umm… summer address."

"Oh… so if I wanted to visit, or something…?" Percy said slowly.

Grover nodded. "Or if you need me."

Percy looked confused. "Need you? What do you mean?"

Grover swallowed hard and spoke hesitantly, "Percy, I need to tell you something. It's kind've my… job, to… protect you."

Percy just stared at him.

For the last year at Yancy, Percy had defended Grover left and right. From mean teachers, low-life bullies, and Nancy Bobofit. And Grover was supposed to protect him?

"What," Percy said, "exactly are you protecting me from, Grover?"

"I… I can't tell you," Grover said, nervously fiddling with a screw on his crutch. "Not yet, anyway."

Percy opened his mouth to respond when the bus made a grinding noise and shuddered. Smoke began to pour into the bus and they heard the driver start cursing.

"Alright folks," the driver shouted when he pulled the bus over to the side of the road, "gonna need y'all to hop off for a moment. Just until I figure out what's wrong with this damn thing."

Percy and Grover filed out with the other passengers and found themselves on the side of an old dirt road in the countryside. The only landmarks around them being a farm to the right of the bus and a fruit stand with a shaded awning. Percy stared curiously at the fruit stand, and its occupants; three old ladies in rocking chairs sat underneath the awning. What caught his attention were what the ladies were knitting; a big pair of socks.

And not just normal sized socks either. They were so big the Hulk could have worn these things and still have room to grow. And they were electric-blue, oddly enough.

Two of the ladies were each knitting a sock and the one in the middle held a massive ball of the electric-blue yarn.

As Percy stared at them, the ladies seemed to stare back. The lady in the middle then took out a large pair of what looked like gold shears and held up a strand of the yarn.

A sense of foreboding washed over Percy as the lady raised the shears to the strand and snipped it. He swore he could hear the sound of the snip from clear across the road. A shiver ran through him, one of unease and danger.

The sound of wrenching metal and a curse of confusion drew Percy's attention and he looked to see the driver of the bus holding a large piece of metal that he had pulled from the engine bay, confusion written all over his face.

"Alright folks," the driver hollered, "y'all can get back on and we'll get underway."

Percy looked back at the fruit stand and was surprised to find the rocking chairs had been vacated. The old ladies were gone.

Once everyone was back on board and the bus had continued on its way, Percy turned to Grover.

"Did you see that?"

"See what?" Grover asked, he had gone back to glancing nervously around the bus.

"Those old ladies with those big socks," Percy said, and immediately noticed Grover tense up.

"W-were they knitting?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"And… did one of them c-cut a string?" Grover was almost stuttering at this point and quivering with fear.

"Yeah… why?" Percy asked. That feeling of foreboding was rearing its head again.

"Oh gods," Grover muttered, shaking his head frantically. "Why? Why now?"

"Grover what's going on?" Percy asked, grabbing his friend's shoulder to stop the shaking.

"I promise, Percy, when I can tell you, I will," Grover said solemnly. "For now, please forget what you saw."

 **TCK TCK TCK**

Grover was silent for the rest of the bus ride, ignoring Percy's questions until Percy just gave up. After another hour the bus finally squealed to a stop near Percy's apartment and he parted with Grover with a wave and a muttered 'good-bye'.

Percy watched the bus trundle away before walking the two blocks to his apartment complex. It was five o'clock and Percy was relieved of his irritation with the thought that his mother would be home from work. He jogged the last block and entered the building, taking the stairs two at a time in his eagerness to get home. Coming up on his apartment door, he was assaulted with the heavenly, buttery smell of freshly baked cookies.

"Mom! I'm home!" Percy called out when he opened the door and entered the apartment. Sally appeared in the kitchen doorway, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel with a happy smile on her face.

"Percy!" Sally cried, and crossed the room to gather her boy up in a warm hug. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, mom," Percy said as he hugged his mother, breathing deeply the smell of fresh cookies, candy, and his mother's perfume. It smelled like home.

Sally let go of Percy and stepped back to get a good look at her son.

"Look at you. You've gotten so tall, and so handsome," Sally gushed, a tear sparkling in her eye. Percy blushed and huffed.

"Mo-om," Percy groaned, blushing even more.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Sally said with a smile. "I just missed my little boy."

"And I missed you," Percy smiled warmly and started towards the kitchen, setting his suitcase by the couch. "Now, I smell cookies."

Sally chuckled and followed her son. "I made your favorite batch and your favorite color. Blue sugar-cookies, fresh from the oven."

"Yes!" Percy pumped his fist and quickly crossed to the cooling rack full of the blue, sugary treats. "Thanks mom, I've missed your cookies."

Sally sat at the table, Percy joining her after gathering a handful of the treats. Sally smiled and tapped the table to get her son's attention. "That's not the only treat I have for you."

Percy raised a brow, munching away on a cookie.

"The beach. Three days, same cabin," Sally said with a grin.

Percy's eyes went wide, a smiled spreading on his face.

"When do we leave?"

"As soon as we finish packing."

Percy grinned, practically vibrating in his chair with excitement. The beach was Montauk Beach in Montauk, New York. What little his mother had told him about his father, was that they had met on that beach and had stayed in the cabin his mother was talking about. It was the only connection to a father he never knew, a father, his mother had said, that had been lost at sea.

Sally stood and started towards the cookies on the cooling rack. "Go and start packing. I'd like us to leave in an hour so we can get there before it gets too dark."

"Okay, mom," Percy responded with a nod. He shoved the last bite of cookie in his mouth as he stood, and exited the kitchen to head to his room, grabbing his suitcase on the way.

Thoughts of what had happened earlier today on the bus had been hammering around Percy's head the whole way home. That uneasy feeling or foreboding had left a pitted feeling in his stomach which seemed to be remedied by his mother's cooking. He pondered briefly on the three old ladies as he entered his room and opened his suitcase.

Who were they? Why was Grover so freaked out over the big socks and why was it so significant to him that Percy saw them cut that strand of yarn?

Percy shook away that train of thought and instead focused on the trip to Montauk. He cracked a smile at the idea of spending a weekend at the beach with his mother; the soft, white sand, the churning, melodic ebbing of the water, the cries of nesting seagulls.

To most, it was simply a beach - sun, sand, and water. But for Percy? It felt like a long lost part of himself.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

After having been on the road for almost two hours, Percy was ready to stretch his legs and wade into that crystalline water that seemed to call to him whenever he was near. Percy perked up slightly after two hours of highway and traffic. They were almost there. It was as though he could feel it - as if he could sense how close the water was.

Sure enough, Sally announced their arrival with a giddy grin and a fond look at her excited son.

"We're here!"

"Finally!" Percy exclaimed, returning his mother's grin.

Sally maneuvered the truck, a beat up, old, blue Chevy, through the parking lot to a numbered parking space.

Sally threw the truck in park and killed the engine. "Grab your bag while I go check us in. I'll be right back and then we can head to the cabin."

"Alright," Percy said with a smile, opening the door and hopping out of the cab to grab their bags from the truck bed. Sally climbed out and headed towards the main office to grab their key for the cabin.

Percy breathed deeply and sighed with contentment, a strange feeling of peace washing over him with the scent of salty sea air and the sounds of seagulls feeding. He'd always wondered about the sea, the way it always seemed as if it was calling to him when he was near, as if it knew when Percy was near. He felt a strange connection to it, like he was a part of it. He felt every wave, followed every current, understood every creature. He'd watch documentaries on the Discovery channel about the known and unknown of the ocean. The marvels of the deep like the Mariana Trench, and the Great Barrier Reef.

Percy felt like this was where he belonged.

"Percy!"

Hearing his mother, Percy turned to see Sally holding up a hand to jangle a key ring with a blue, plastic card with a big number '3' etched into it.

"Let's go, kiddo! Last one there is a rotten egg!"

Percy grinned and rolled his eyes good naturedly. He hiked the bags up on his shoulders, and started running after his mother.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 **Here it comes, folks. I think we all know what comes next. Prepare.**

 **On a happy note, I hope you all enjoyed!**

 **Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	7. Ch 7: Where's The Beef?

**Alright folks let me apologize for the late update. My job has been working me like crazy, so I haven't had a lot of energy at the end of the day to work on this. Thanks for the reviews on Ch 6! I'm glad you all enjoyed :). On to some review response.**

 **Blue Starred Devil: Just to clear the air, it's only been a week since my last update. I'm not abandoning my story. The other's I've posted are on hiatus while I write** _ **this**_ **story. I may not update often but I try to keep it consistent.**

 **Anyway, thank you very much, I'm glad you're enjoying the story :).**

 **Bruce77: I will bring about a new age in PJO/Chaos fanfics. A legend of Gods, Protogenoi, Monsters, and Quests. One day I hope to rise to the ranks of Anaklusmos, author of The Queen's Champion.**

 **Until that day, I will write my story to the best of my ability to please the masses.**

 **So… wanna go watch Shark Week?**

 **Charlee56: Yeah boiii! Get ready for another one!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 _May 15th, 2005_

 _Montauk Beach, NY_

Percy sighed with an air of content as he gazed out at the horizon. He sat on the sand, right at the water's edge, his legs bent to allow his feet to sink into the soft, cool sand.

He and his mother had arrived just the day before and had started their vacation with a small fire on the beach when the sun had set. They roasted hot dogs and smores, Sally keeping her son captivated with stories of his father and her, and their time together on this very beach.

Midnight was approaching by the time they retired to the cabin for the night. The small, yet cozy, bungalow had two small bedrooms and one bathroom. The open living room was connected to a small kitchenette, complete with an electric oven and a countertop-mounted microwave.

True, the cabin was rather small, smaller than their apartment, but Percy loved it.

The cabin lacked in air conditioning, so on rather humid nights they would open the windows and Percy would allow himself to be lulled to sleep by the white-noise of the gentle waves of the water.

Last night had been the best night of sleep Percy had gotten since the field trip to the History Museum. His dreams had been peaceful and filled with images of swirling stars, talking fish, and tridents - strangely enough.

Percy sighed again, breathing the tangy scent of the salty air.

He needed this. This time alone, just him and his mother, and the beach.

The sun was just dipping below the horizon when he heard his mother call his name from the cabin.

"Percy! Time to eat, kiddo!"

He stood and dusted the sand from his legs and trekked back to the cabin, his feet sinking slightly in the soft sand. Percy opened the door and breathed deeply, his mouth starting to water from the smell of fried calamari and steamed vegetables.

"That smells great, mom," Percy praised, sliding into a chair at the small kitchen table.

"I hope so," Sally joked, moving the hot pans from the stove and setting them on potholders on the table. "It's my first time frying octopus. I hope you like it."

They took a moment to fill their plates, both taking generous amounts of the fried cephalopod and the veggies. Percy took a tentative bite of the calamari and his eyes went wide. He looked up at his mother, noting her nervousness. "This is amazing."

Sally's shoulders slumped in relief and smiled warmly before digging into to her own dinner.

Mother and son sat and ate and talked as sun slowly sank. Twilight was upon them before they knew it.

As Percy was raising another forkful of calamari to his mouth there was a loud boom overhead, followed by the heavy patter of rain on the tin-roof. Percy furrowed his brow in confusion; the news said nothing of storms for the length of their stay.

"That's odd," Sally murmured, glancing worriedly at the ceiling. "I didn't think it was supposed to rain tonight."

Percy slowly stood from the table and crossed to the front window. It was pitch black outside, the occasional flash of lightning being the only break in the darkness. The rain itself was coming down in fat, heavy drops that pounded the sand and pavement.

That familiar sense of foreboding crept over Percy, causing a shiver to run up his spine.

Something was wrong.

"Mom-" Percy was cut off by another crack of thunder and the brief flash of lightning that accompanied it revealed a silhouetted figure sprinting towards the cabin.

No… not sprinting… _galloping._

Percy backed away from the window quickly and jumped when he heard a knock at the door. Sally stood and crossed to the door.

"Percy, stand back," she intoned firmly.

Sally slowly cracked the door and peeked at their late-night visitor. She gasped and threw open the door. Percy was shocked to see Grover standing in the doorway, his face dripping and his fur matted with water and sand.

Wait… _fur?!_

Percy peered closer at his friend and realized Grover's legs were covered in fur and instead of feet, he had two black hooves.

"Sally, we have to go! They found him!" Grover said hysterically, shaking from fear and the chill of the rain.

Sally paled, her eyes widening in terror and her gaze shifted Percy. "Perseus grab your things. We need to leave. Now."

He didn't hesitate.

Very rarely did his mother ever use his full given name, the fact that she had stalled any hesitation and any questions Percy had.

He nodded once and raced to his room, hurriedly throwing any valuables and clothes in his duffel bag. When he finished Percy returned to find his mother with the truck keys in her hand and a bag on her shoulder. Sally and Grover both had nervous, frightened looks on their faces.

"Let's go," Sally said, moving towards the door. "Grover you can ride with us."

Grover nodded and followed her out the door, Percy fell in line and the trio trooped out in the pouring rain and raced for the beat up old Chevy. Lightning continued to streak across the sky, followed closely by booming thunder that threatened their hearing.

They reached the truck in almost no time at all and piled in quickly, uncaring about their soaking wet selves. Sally put the key in the ignition and was about to start the engine when they heard something beyond the thunder.

Something that made their blood run cold. Sally and Grover's eyes widened in fear.

A roar ripped out through the stormy night that seemed to dwarf the thunder. A tremendous, deep bellowing that cut through the night like a cannon blast.

"Sally," Grover whispered in a tremulous voice. "Go. Now!"

The engine roared to life and Sally threw the truck in drive and stomped on the gas. The truck shot forward and zipped out of the parking lot, on to the highway like a bat out of hell.

"Grover, please tell me that isn't what I think it is," Sally said shakily, struggling to keep the truck on the road.

"It is," Grover replied, just as shakily, eyes wide and darting around searchingly.

Percy, who sat between the two, turned to his mother. "Mom, what the hell was that? Where are we going?"

"We're going to Half-Blood Hill," Grover said, answering for Sally. "That thing back there was something we _really_ don't want to be near. Camp is only ten minutes away." Grover glanced over at Sally. "Can we make it?"

Sally's face adopted a grim, determined look. "Buckle up, boys. Ol' Blue will get us there, but things are going to get a little hairy."

The boys gulped and tightened the straps of their belts. Sally slammed the accelerator and the truck slowly picked up speed, the speedometer climbing into the nineties.

Another roar echoed through the rain from behind them, sounding frighteningly close despite their speed.

Sally cursed and glanced at the rear-view mirror. Her eyes went wide, and Percy felt the truck speed up even more. He turned to look behind him through the back window and blanched.

Through the heavy rain, illuminated by the still present lightning, lumbered a huge, dark figure. It had to have been at least ten feet tall and as wide as the truck.

And was easily just as fast.

"What the hell is _that_?!" Percy shouted in fear, unable to look away from the monstrous figure.

Grover whipped his head around and stared at the imposing figure in terror.

"The Minotaur," Grover whispered.

As if it had heard him, the massive figure bellowed like a raging bull.

"S-sally! We need to get to the Camp, yesterday!" Grover shouted.

"I'm pushing it as hard as I can! Ol' Blue wasn't built for this kind of speed!" Sally argued, steering the truck out of a skid. "We're no more than five minutes from camp. We can make it. We have to."

"How is this possible?!" Percy asked, turning to Grover.

Grover was too frozen with fear to respond so Sally spoke up. "Percy, all those stories about Greek gods and monsters? Zeus, Poseidon… the Minotaur? They're all true," Sally paused when the truck went into another skid to wrestle the truck under control. "That behind us is proof."

Percy listened in shocked silence. It was all true. The gods, monsters… Mrs. Dodds!

"So that day in the museum," Percy said, turning back to Grover. "That really was a Fury?"

"It was," Grover nodded with a shamed expression. He mumbled, "I'm sorry I lied, Perce. We were trying to keep you safe."

Percy wanted to be angry. He really did.

He wanted to rant and rave, point out the raging man-bull that was chasing them and say, "lot of freaking good that did!"

But Percy understood. Understood that Grover was his best friend and probably felt horrible that he had to lie the whole time they'd known each other.

"It's alright, G-Man," Percy said, putting a hand on the trembling boy's shoulder. "Thanks for trying."

Grover smiled and nodded shakily.

Then something crossed Percy's mind that he hadn't had a lot of time to register earlier.

"Grover… why do you have hooves?"

 **WHAM**

Something slammed into the side of the truck bed and sent the vehicle hydroplaning, veering sharply off the road. Everyone screamed and braced themselves as the tires caught the roads edge and forced the vehicle to flip over sideways and tumble down a steep hill.

Percy groaned and shook himself. Looking around he realized the truck was upside down, and that Grover and his mom appeared to be unconscious.

"M-mom?" Percy shook Sally's shoulder. "Mom wake up!"

Sally moaned and slowly opened her eyes. "I-I'm okay. You in one piece, kiddo?"

"I think so," Percy said, turning to Grover. The boy was hanging limply with blood trickling from his nose. "But Grover is knocked out and the truck got flipped."

Moving slowly, Sally carefully braced herself and pushed the release on her seatbelt. She caught herself and twisted to sit right-side up before turning to her son.

"Okay, let's get out of this. Camp should be on the other side of this ditch," said Sally. She reached around and unbuckled Percy, catching him before he landed on his head. "Grab Grover and let's go. That thing won't be far behind."

"Right," Percy nodded and turned to his friend. He undid the belt and grabbed Grover under his arms and started dragging him from the truck after Sally kicked open the driver's door.

Each taking an arm, Sally and Percy half-carried half-dragged Grover from the truck and up the steep incline opposite the road.

"Have to hurry," Sally grunted. "The sooner we reach the border, the better. Monsters can't cross the borders."

Percy had no idea what his mother was talking about but nodded anyway, continuing to drag the unconscious Grover up the hill.

When the trio crested the hill they heard the familiar bellow ring out and a sound like wrenching metal. Sally and Percy glanced back to see what they assumed was the truck explode in a ball of fire. It was then Percy got a good look at the beast that was chasing them.

The Minotaur was tall and covered in thick, coarse, brown hair. It was barrel chested and looked like it spent its spare time benching cars and punching boulders. Its legs were bent backwards like a bovine and ended in massive hooves the size of Percy's head.

The monster had a bull's snout with a heavy, iron ring pierced through the middle of its nostrils. Atop its head sat two, bone-white horns capped in polished bronze that ended in sharp points.

Its eyes were pitch black and full of animalistic rage. Even from such a distance, Percy could tell the beast could see them.

The beast took a step towards them and Percy could almost feel the ground shake.

"Umm, Mom?" Percy murmured.

"I know," Sally muttered, her eyes wide. "We need to keep moving!"

The trio continued, running as quickly as they could with a, unusually heavy, unconscious half goat-boy.

BOOM

The ground shook again.

"Almost there!" Sally shouted. "We just need to make it past that pine tree!"

BOOM BOOM BOOM

Percy glanced back and nearly stumbled at the sight of the charging mass of muscle. The Minotaur had produced a massive, double-bladed axe from a sheathe on its back. It looked large enough, and sharp enough, to cleave a boulder in two.

"Shit," Percy muttered, gathering his strength and pushing as hard as he could towards the towering pine tree that stood a half a dozen yards away.

"That's it!" Sally exclaimed, hope shimmering in her eyes. "We're almost- "

Sally cut off with a gasp when a huge, furry hand wrapped around her mid-section and picked her up.

"Mom! No!" Percy cried, he crouched and set Grover on the ground and started towards his mother and the Minotaur.

"P-Perc-y," Sally said, struggling as the meaty hand of the man-bull wrapped around her throat. "G-get to c-camp. G-go! Now!"

The Minotaur grunted and began to squeeze. Sally had started to struggle against the beast's grip when her body began to glow with a faint golden aura. The beast roared and clenched his fist and the visage of Sally Jackson seemed to shimmer and explode in a shower of golden light.

"NO!" Percy screamed and sprinted towards the, now confused, Minotaur. He grabbed the charm from his bracelet, unfazed and running on instincts when the charm glowed with a white aura and formed into the three-and-a-half-foot long Spartan officer's sword.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Percy launched himself from the slippery grass and mud towards the beast, his sword held high, and brought the blade down on the beast's massive right forearm, slicing clean through flesh and bone.

The beast bellowed in pain as the arm and axe fell to the earth. Before Percy could react, a fist the size of a cement block flew through the air and slammed into his chest, sending him hurtling backwards into a massive oak tree.

Percy coughed, cringing at the coppery taste of blood in his mouth and struggled to fill his lungs with air. The ground shook rhythmically, and he looked up to see the beast slowly stomping towards him. Its bovine eyes full of murderous rage.

Percy struggled to stand, idly realizing he had lost his sword and was now defenseless. He stared up at the approaching beast with an unwavering gaze and stood his ground, spitting a glob of blood and saliva into the mud.

This thing had killed his mother. The one person that meant more than anything. If this beast thought it would cut down a coward, it was sorely mistaken.

As the beast drew closer, Percy braced himself for the end, his face set in stone, ready to accept his fate. A flash of lightning arced through the air and Percy saw something glint in the corner of his eye.

The Minotaur's axe.

It was only a couple feet away. It must've been kicked away when the beast punched him. Percy glanced at the rage-filled man-bull and back to the axe. It looked heavy, but if he timed it just right, he might not have to lift it very far.

The beast was almost on him now, only a few feet from striking distance.

Percy crouched.

The beast roared.

Percy rolled towards the axe.

The Minotaur pounced, its fist raised and ready to strike.

Percy grabbed the shaft of the axe, high on the shaft near the axe's head, and rolled, heaving the heavy weapon with all his might and shoving the blade upwards just as the Minotaur lunged towards him.

The beast roared with pain and looked down at his chest. The axe's blade had pierced the beast's breastbone and the beast's weight had forced the blade several inches deep through the meat and bone. The Minotaur looked back up at Percy and the boy saw something that confused him greatly.

Instead of anger and blind, animalistic rage, Percy saw pain and fear in the beast's eyes. Pain, fear and… sadness?

The beast heaved one final breath, blasting Percy in the face with the stench of gingivitis and gym socks, before its eyes closed and the beast dissolved into golden sand, which was then blown away by the raging wind.

Percy was breathing heavily, faintly aware of the adrenaline fading and the pain in his chest coming back with a vengeance. There was a sharp pain on his left side that accompanied each inhale. A few shattered and fractured ribs, most likely.

A faint glow shook Percy from his assessment and drew his attention to the axe in his hands. The rather simple double-bladed axe was glowing with a golden aura and began to shrink. The axe head seemed to melt together and reform.

After a moment the massive axe was replaced by a single-bladed axe with a wide, curved blade. The back of the axe had two, sharp spikes coming off the shaft like a pair of horns. The metal was a bronze material that seemed to glow in the darkness. Etched into the blades surface was the image of a bull in mid-charge.

Along the shaft of the weapon ancient Greek letters were carved into the wood and stopped just above the leather wrapped grip.

 _Τα κέρατα_.

Percy read the inscription and immediately knew what it said.

 _The Horns._

"Heh," Percy started to chuckle. His chuckles grew and became hysterical laughter. Tears fell from his eyes as he clutched the axe's shaft, his laughter turning into choked sobs.

His mother was gone.

Darkness crept around the edges of Percy's vision and he felt the full weight of his battle with the beast finally taking its toll on his body. Percy fell sideways into the mud, uncaring of the rain that continued to pepper his face. A voice carried through the rain as his eyes slid closed and he glimpsed a tall boy with blond hair and an orange t-shirt.

"Holy shit. Get Chiron! We've got an unconscious Grover and an injured half-blood." The boy approached Percy and knelt beside him. "Rest up, kid. We'll take care of you."

With that, Percy allowed his eyes to shut and his world faded away in blackness as he sunk into the realm of Hypnos.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 **Wow. Just… wow.**

 **How was that fight scene? Pretty intense I gotta say.**

 **Anyway, hope you all enjoyed. I'll try and have chapter 8 done by the end of the week or beginning of next. Hopefully before my float trip next weekend.**

 **Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	8. Ch 8: Welcome To Camp

**Glad you all enjoyed last chappie. One of my first fight scenes so I'm glad you like it. Anyway, not much else to say except;**

 **Enjoy!**

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 _Chaos' Domain_

 _Chaos' Throne Room_

"GODS DAMN IT ALL!" Chaos raged, firing a blast of pure black energy at a conjured boulder. The boulder shattered into a pile of gravel.

Order sat quietly on her throne, indulging her brother's frustrations. She was sympathetic to his anger. Sally Jackson was a good, kind-hearted woman, who deserved better than the hand she had been dealt.

"Were it not for Perseus and our plans I would storm Olympus myself and lay waste to those… those… **fucking wastes of cosmic energy**!" The domain shook as Chaos projected his power, shaking it to its very foundations. He blasted another boulder, showering the room with hot, stone shrapnel.

"Peace, brother," Order said calmingly, though her voice was strained with barely restrained fury. She rose from her throne and slowly approached her brother. "In due time, all will be corrected. For now, we must put aside our frustrations - as much as I'd like to do the opposite of such - and focus on Percy."

"Of course," Chaos relented with a sigh, his shoulders relaxing minutely. He turned his head and smiled gratefully at Order. "Thank you, sister."

Chaos swept a hand and banished the stone chips that littered the floor. He folded his arms and felt his eyes water slightly. For a moment, Chaos was baffled and confused at the moisture that had gathered in his eyes.

He touched his face and brought his hand away, examining the clear liquid that shimmered on his fingers in the light of the torches that lined the walls.

Tears.

Chaos was bewildered and struck dumb with the realization that he was crying.

Never, since the birth of his existence, had he shed a tear. True he had been saddened and disappointed, especially after witnessing his children and grandchildren taking dark paths, but he had never cried over it.

He was struck again with another realization; he cared deeply for his son and his mother. More deeply than any child or grandchild the creator of the universe had given life to.

Chaos shook off his tears and straightened his back. Now was not the time for tears. Percy would be here soon, having fallen unconscious only moments ago after his fight with that despicable horned beast.

Percy would need him.

"Brother?" Order intoned gently, laying a comforting hand on Chaos' arm.

"I am alright, sister," Chaos assured with a wan smile. He offered Order his arm and together the pair left the throne room and ventured through the halls to the sitting room. "Perseus will be here soon and will likely need our support. We must remain strong for him and provide such support."

"Of course," Order said, nodding zealously in agreement. The pair separated when they entered the sitting room, and each took a seat in rather comfortable looking armchairs, the cushioning providing comfort and allowing the ancient beings to relax.

Order snapped her fingers, conjuring a teapot and three cups. Chaos nodded gratefully when she cast him a questioning look, and Order poured them both a cup of Earl Gray.

Brother and sister sat quietly for several minutes, sipping their steaming beverages and getting lost in their thoughts.

It wasn't long before Chaos looked up and a glaze fell momentarily over his eyes, fading when the visage of Percy shimmered into solidity in the middle of the room. The boy had tears in his eyes, but his expression was no longer that of sadness.

It was a look of anger and pain.

It broke Chaos' heart and brought tears to Order's eyes to see this sweet, kind child suffering the loss of his mother. With Poseidon absent for a large portion of his life, and Chaos only able to visit the boy in his dreams, Percy didn't have anyone left in his life amongst the mortals.

"Dad," Percy said, his voice cracking slightly. "Aunt Order."

Brother and sister rushed to the boy's side and enveloped him in a hug. Percy folded into their embrace, tears continuing to track down his face.

"Who would do this? _Why_ would they do this?" Percy whispered, squeezing his eyes shut, desperately trying to stem the flow of tears.

"Zeus," Chaos stated simply. He released his son and began pacing the room with his hands clasped behind his back. "That damned self-proclaimed King of the Gods must have found you and sent that beast," Chaos speculated, mostly muttering to himself.

Percy allowed his aunt to pull him to the couch where she began to run her fingers through his unruly, black hair. The boy relaxed slightly under his aunts comforting gesture.

"But why mom? Why send a monster to attack her!?" Percy cried, his anger making another appearance.

This caused Chaos to pause and cock his head in thought.

"That… can't be right," Chaos muttered.

"What do you mean, brother?" Order asked, her arm wrapped around her nephew in an attempt to calm him.

"When you were born, Perseus, I visited you and your mother while you both slept," Chaos explained, head still cocked in confusion. "I blessed your mother with my power to ward off monsters and gods in an effort to keep you both safe and prevent any harm that may befall you both."

It was Order's turn to be confused.

"Of course! Then how could the Minotaur have killed Sally Jackson?" Order asked rhetorically. Her eyes widened and met her brother's gaze. "Unless…"

"Unless she was not actually killed," Chaos finished. A feeling of relief and trepidation washed over him.

"So… my mom may still be alive?" Percy asked for clarification, glancing between the two Protogenoi.

"She has to be," Chaos stated firmly. "My blessing is not to be taken lightly. Only I or your aunt would be able to remove, or bypass it, which we did not do."

"So where is she then?" Percy asked, clearly confused.

"She must have been kidnapped," Order reasoned. "Perhaps that glow was not the blessing being broken, but in fact some form of teleportation spell."

Chaos nodded and scratched his goatee, analyzing the facts.

"I believe you are right, sister," Chaos said in agreement. His eyebrows furrowing in frustration. "If that is the case, I will have no way to trace the spell. Even I am limited in such matters."

"Then I'll find her," Percy stated resolutely, his face set in stone.

Chaos crossed the room to kneel before his son and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you will," he said quietly, smiling proudly at the boy. "For now I want you to stay at camp. Train hard and make friends," Chaos held up a hand when Percy opened his mouth to protest. "Your mother is still protected by my blessing. She cannot be harmed, regardless of her current situation. You will get her back, Perseus, in due time. I promise."

"Okay," Percy sighed with an air of frustration.

"Now, due to necessity, considering the current situation, our meeting will be ending differently," Chaos stated, smirking slightly at Percy's confused expression. "When you leave here in the morning, you will retain all your memories of this place. Your training, your knowledge, your aunt Order… me."

Percy's eyes widened, and his mouth turned up in a large grin. He threw his arms around his father in a tight hug, tears prickling in his eyes.

"Thank you," Percy croaked, overjoyed to know that he wouldn't be alone following his mother's suspected abduction.

"There will be some rules that you must follow," Order broke in, her voice stern. "You must not give the gods, or any friends you may make, any indication that Chaos is your father, and I your aunt. It is likely that Poseidon shall claim you very soon. You must play along and keep your power hidden."

"I will, auntie," Percy said, nodding resolutely.

Somewhere the heavy reverb of a clock chiming echoed throughout the domain, causing Chaos to curse in ancient Greek.

"What was that?" Percy asked, looking around in search of the chime's source.

"An alarm I had installed to alert me when morning is approaching," Chaos replied, sighing heavily. As Percy's gaze slid back to his father he noticed, with a heavy heart, that the creator looked every one of his many years. "I am so sorry, Perseus. I swore on my power to keep your mother safe and yet the Fates seem to have other ideas and I… I have failed you."

"Dad, you didn't fail," Percy said. Chaos looked doubtful and Percy rolled his eyes with a slight smile. "You did more for me and mom than anyone else… more than Poseidon ever could."

Chaos' expression darkened at the mention of the sea god. Percy wrapped his father in a hug.

"It's not your fault she's been taken," the two separated and Percy smiled at his father. "We have only Zeus to blame. So quit feeling sorry and put your game face on! You're the Creator of the Universe for cryin' out loud!" Chaos and Order chuckled at the boy's attempt to lighten the mood. Order wrapped her nephew in a hug and kissed the top of his head.

"Time to go, my little warrior. Morning approaches and I must warn you, you will feel very sore after your fight last night," Order said apologetically.

"Ah, what's a little strained muscle or two?" Percy said, waving off his aunt's concern. "Your training sessions were way tougher than Mr. Hamburger-Helper." This earned him another round of laughter from the pair of Protogenoi.

"Goodbye, my son," Chaos hugged his son one last time. "We will see each other in a few nights."

"Bye, Dad," Percy hugged Order and kissed her cheek. "Bye, auntie."

"Goodbye, my little warrior," Order said with a smile.

And with that, the room swirled and faded to black as Percy's consciousness was whisked away from the land of Morpheus.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 _Percy POV:_

I opened my eyes slowly, wincing at the bright rays of sunshine that filter through the window. I had maybe a moment to fully awaken before the pain hit me.

Aunt Order was right.

Gods was I _sore_! Every muscle felt as though it had been stretched like a rubber band and snapped over and over again. My chest alone felt like one, giant bruise. I couldn't help but groan and nearly jumped out of the strangely comfortable cot I was laying on when a deep, baritone voice broke through the silence of the room.

"Ah! Good, you're awake." I turned my head towards the source of the voice and nearly did a double take.

"M-Mr. Brunner?!"

Sure enough, sitting beside my bed, with his piercing brown eyes and bushy beard, was my Latin teacher, smiling warmly with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"Good morning, Perseus," Brunner said. "Well, more like 'good afternoon'. We were worried you would sleep the day away." My groaned and grabbed my head. It felt like someone was playing a drum solo on the inside of my skull.

"W-where am I? What time is it?" That's when the night before came barreling back to me like a freight train on icy rails. The raging bellows of the charging Minotaur, mom choking as that bastard held her by her throat… "Mom!"

"Mom?" Brunner echoed, his bushy brows furrowed in confusion. "Sally was with you? Where is she, Perseus?"

"She… she's gone," my eyes were beginning to mist over. "Last night… Grover found us at Montauk beach and said _they_ found us. Next thing I know, we're piling into the truck and driving through the rain with a Minotaur on our tail. We tried to get away but… mom…" I broke off and started doing a breathing technique my aunt showed in an effort to calm down.

"Oh my…" Brunner muttered. Seemed like he connected the dots. "I'm so sorry, Perseus."

I nodded my thanks but didn't respond. I know she's not dead, I just didn't have anything else to say. I'll find the bastard that took her, and not a force on Olympus or in Tartarus would stop me from tearing her kidnapper apart. Piece. By. Piece. After a rather awkward pause, Brunner cleared his throat to get my attention.

"Why don't you get dressed and we can begin your orientation?" Brunner stated, gesturing to a set of clothes sitting in a chair by the bed.

It was then I realized I was only wearing boxers.

"Err, right," my face flushed with embarrassment. Brunner smiled kindly and started to wheel himself out of the room.

"Once you're ready, head down the stairs and to the left. You will find me on the porch through the screen door."

I shook my head when the door closed and slowly shifted to the side of the bed. Glancing down at my chest I took notice of the bandages that were wrapped around my ribs and the rather large, and rather nasty looking, bruise I was sporting. Strangely enough, it wasn't the typical blackish-purple associated with fresh bruises. It had already turned the unsightly yellowish-green that signified healing.

I shook away my confusion and reached for the pile of clothes. I'd been given a pair of black cargo shorts and socks, a set of black, Converse high tops and an orange t-shirt. The shirt reminded me of the boy I'd seen just before I had blacked out and I unfolded it to find something printed on the front. In strange, slightly runic looking font were two words; _Camp Half-Blood._

Well… that answers the question of where I am.

After pulling on the shorts and shirt and lacing up the shoes, I followed Brunner's instructions and ventured through, what appeared to be an old farmhouse, and found myself on a wrap-around porch. The floorboards and wooden railing were worn and looked really old, but a closer look revealed the wood had been freshly painted and lacquered. It gave off a feeling of care and appreciation.

To the right of the screen door, I spotted three people seated around a small table playing a card game. My brow raised a bit in surprise when I spotted Grover sitting next to Mr. Brunner. Now that Dad had given back my memories, the whole _satyr thing_ didn't throw me off all that much but seeing him _here_ certainly raised a few questions. The third person was someone new; he had an air of laziness about him. From his half-lidded, bloodshot eyes to his slouching posture the man positively screamed _lazy bastard._ He had short, shaggy (brown) hair and a big, bulbous nose. He was dressed in a gaudy Hawaiian shirt and khaki cargo shorts.

As I approached the trio I had to force myself to not freeze. The third man was radiating an almost imperceptible, yet powerful, aura. Images flashed through my head, pictures of grape vineyards and people succumbing to madness.

 _Dionysus._

 _Fuck._

"Ah, Perseus! Glad to see you on your feet," Brunner greeted with a smile. I noticed Grover seemed to shrink in on himself with a guilty, sad look on his face as Brunner spoke. "Come, take a seat. Grover you already know, but I'd like you to meet the Camp Director, Mr. D." Brunner waved a hand at the man with the big nose.

'Mr. D' barely gave me a glance as I took the unoccupied seat directly across from Brunner.

"Nice to meet you, sir," I said, my eyes narrowing slightly.

"And you, Perry," Mr. D returned distractedly. Brunner sighed but didn't say anything. Yeah, I could tell this guy was gonna be a pain in the ass.

"H-hey, Perce," Grover greeted. He seemed to be having a hard time looking me in the eye.

"Hey, G-man. Glad to see you're alright. How's the head?" Grover perked up and looked at me with confusion and disbelief.

"Um… it's… I'm alright," the satyr stumbled over his words a bit. "Are you alright? I… I thought you'd be mad at me." It was my turn to look confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I-I failed to protect her, Perce," tears began to gather in Grover's eyes. Oh Gods. "It's my duty as part of the Council of Cloven Elders to act as a protector to my charges. That extends to Sally. And I failed." I had to put a stop to this before the goat-boy broke down in a blubbering mess.

"Grover, calm down! It wasn't your fault!" I was thrown a bit when he started munching on the soda can he'd been drinking from. "If you hadn't shown up at the cabin when you did… I probably wouldn't be here right now…" Damn… well isn't _that_ a pleasant thought.

"Thanks, Perce," Grover sniffed with a watery smile. I patted his shoulder comfortingly and smiled back. I turned when Brunner cleared his throat.

"Now that we're all acquainted," Brunner started, "I'm sure you have some questions."

"Heh, yeah, you could say that," I couldn't help but chuckle. _Some_ questions? As far as I know my whole world view got flipped upside down thanks to an encounter with an 8' tall mountain of testosterone and beef, and a dream involving my real dad and my aunt. And I had a feeling my life was about to get _even weirder._

I glanced around beyond the screened in porch and raised an eyebrow. Off to my left and in the distance I saw a few structures that looked like cabins with no uniform design at all. What looked like a decent sized amphitheater, complete with a half-ring of stone bleachers and a rather large fire pit in the center, sat a few dozen yards from the outermost cabin. To the right of the amphitheater was a tall, stone wall that stretched around in what I assumed was an ovular shape with a big, stone doorway facing the amphitheater. Dominating the foreground was a massive pavilion with carved, stone columns and filled with a dozen long, stone tables and benches. I gotta admit, it was pretty damn impressive. And was that… do I smell strawberries in the air?

"So, this is Camp Half-Blood?" I asked, still scanning the layout. "This is pretty cool."

"I am glad you think so, Perseus," Brunner said with a chuckle.

"What is it, exactly?" I turned to Brunner with false curiosity. I already knew about the camp, thanks to Dad, but I still had an act to keep up. "I've never seen a camp with Greek style dining pavilions and what I assume is a combat arena." I felt a smug sense of satisfaction at Brunner's impressed expression.

"Very observant, Perseus," Brunner nodded. "Indeed, this is unlike your everyday, mundane summer camp. This is a camp, and safe-haven, for children with one godly parent. These children are known as demigods."

"And… that's what I am? A demigod?" Brunner nodded.

"You are indeed. The only question is…" Brunner trailed off, allowing me to fill in the blanks.

"Who is my godly parent?"

"We shall simply have to wait and see," Brunner said with an apologetic look. "Hopefully you will be claimed soon. But for now, I was thinking Grover could show you around the grounds and afterwards show you to the Hermes cabin. Grover?"

"Sure thing, Chiron," Grover said with a nod. Ah, so that's who he is. I thought I sensed something… Grover stood, and I followed his lead. I waved bye to Brun- Chiron and glanced at Mr. D; the useless slob had dozed off with cards still in his hand.

"C'mon, Perce," Grover said, patting my shoulder. "We got a lot to see, lunch is in an hour, and I'm starving."

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 **And thar she be. Percy has finally arrived at CHB. In a couple of chapters or so, I've been thinking about maybe doing a time skip or two cause, let's face it, we all probably know what happened in the first book. I'd still have some scenes between skips and probably do some flashbacks if I had to. I dunno if I'm gonna do it yet, so I'll let you all decide if I should or not.**

 **Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	9. Ch 9: So It Begins

**Thank you all so much for your reviews! I'm really glad you're enjoying the story so far. Next chapter will have more time skips, as we all clearly know what basically happens. Now that I think about it… what if I did a couple big skips, finishing out the PJO story line with the battle with Kronos. Then do a few parts of the HOO story line, and skip straight to the battle with the Gigantes, then go on from there with Percy and Chaos enacting their plan to dethrone the Council. Hmm, I'll have to play around with that idea a bit. On that note, I'd welcome some feedback on the idea and give me some ideas on going about that. Feel free to message me with ideas or leave a review.**

 **Just an FYI, I will not be shipping Percabeth. I'm sorry if you are a big Percabeth fan, but I prefer unconventional pairings. Anyone wanna take a guess of who will capture our favorite demi-protogenoi's heart? I'll give you a hint, there are very few fanfics with this pairing.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **TCK TCK TCK**

"Is that a… climbing wall?"

"Yup."

"And is that… lava?"

"Yup."

"... cool."

Grover and I had been walking around camp for close to an hour now and we had just passed the training grounds in the combat arena. I had to hide a snicker when I noticed Grover sort of trots when he walks.

"So where next, G-Man?" I asked as we exited the arena, my hands in my pockets. At that moment the deep, resonating sound of a horn echoed throughout the camp

"That's lunch. Let's head to the dining pavilion," Grover said, and started leading me towards the pavilion filled with stone tables. As we got closer, I noticed a large, bronze brazier set towards one end of the pavilion. Even from this distance I could hear a fire crackling within it.

I also noticed that several of the tables were filled with kids of all ages, the youngest probably being nine or ten, and the oldest looking about seventeen. There seemed to be close to eighty or ninety kids here, and more continued to file into the stone space and find seats at the tables.

"Just like the cabins, there are twelve groups of tables for the twelve Olympians," Grover explained, leading me towards the end of the pavilion where the brazier sat. A comparatively small table sat just behind the bronze fire pit, large enough to fit maybe three or four people on one side.

"Who sits there?" I asked, pointing to the table.

"Chiron and Mr. D mainly. Occasional important visitors or guests too." Grover led me to the head table and patted the chair next to him as he sat. "You can sit here until Chiron places you in Hermes cabin or you get claimed."

"Alright," I said as I sat down. Time to play the part. "That's the second time I've heard about 'claiming' and you keep calling Brunner, 'Chiron'. Why? And what the Hades is claiming?" Grover smiled sheepishly - or would that be 'goatishly'? I felt Dad snicker in my head at the pun.

"Oh, right. Sorry Perce," Grover crossed his arms on the smooth, stone tabletop and adopted, what I consider, a lecturing tone. "Brunner is actually Chiron; a centaur who trained a lot of the famous heroes; Achilles, Jason of the Argonauts, Theseus and Perseus, to name a few."

"Seriously?" Grover nodded. "Sweet."

"As for claiming," Grover started. "Usually when a demigod arrives at Camp, their godly parent will claim them. This is usually done with a symbol representing that god or goddess appearing above their heads." Usually? That didn't sound right…

"What do you mean by 'usually'?" Grover didn't answer right away. I followed his gaze to a rather crowded group of tables, with easily double the amount of kids as any of the other tables. "Who are they?"

"Hermes cabin," Grover said quietly. "The unclaimed, those who don't know their godly parent, are sent to the Hermes cabin. I don't know when, but it became _the_ cabin for unclaimed demigods," Grover sighed. "It seems like every year we have to expand their cabin."

"That bad, huh?" My expression was neutral, but inside I was furious. Dozens of these kids all crammed into one cabin because their godly parent hasn't or couldn't claim them? That was unacceptable. I could feel Dad's anger on the matter as well. The gods would pay for their crimes soon enough.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

Lunch passed fairly quickly. Grover and I were joined shortly by Chiron, still in his wheelchair, and Mr. D. The former struck up a rather interesting conversation with us about how much of Greek mythology was actual fact. I think Grover and Chiron were slightly surprised that I was able to follow along so well. I could almost see my Dad smiling smugly as I showed off my knowledge of ancient Greece. It wasn't long after Chiron and the slob joined us that a smattering of nymphs walked into the pavilion carrying trays heaped with food. Seafood, bar-b-que, pizza, sandwiches. Almost anything you could want, it was there.

When the campers started filing towards the brazier I raised an eyebrow curiously. I was even more confused when they started dumping portions of their lunch into the burning coals. I nudged Grover and motioned to the line of kids.

"What's that all about?"

"Offerings to the gods. In the old days, people would sacrifice livestock or crops for the god's blessings. Now we offer bits of our food. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

I joined the line after a moment's thought and offered half a steak and a serving of berries. ' _For you, Dad. And Aunt Order too._ '

I noticed my bracelet glow almost imperceptibly for a brief moment and a warmth passed over me. It reminded me of my Aunt's warm hugs and my dad's hand on my shoulder. I smiled and nodded. _'I love you too.'_

After lunch ended and the pavilion started clearing out, Chiron had me follow him to the cabins. There were twelve set in half circle, reminiscent of an Omega symbol. Even the cabins on each end were positioned like the 'feet' of the Omega. Chiron led me to the first cabin on the left, which he explained was the Hermes cabin. And just like the dining pavilion, the cabin was packed with campers. Beds of all kinds were scattered all over the place; hammocks hung from rafters and in corners, full size beds, bunk-beds, sleeping bags, and cots. It seemed like a cluttered mess at first, but the closer I looked I could see everything had a place and every camper had their own area.

"Hey Chiron! Who's the newbie?" My head whipped around to find a tall, blonde boy with blue eyes approaching us. His hair was cut short and he had a lean build. I could tell he was probably one hell of a swordsman. He had an easy grin that practically radiated mischief.

"Ah, Lucas! Perfect timing," Chiron greeted the boy warmly. "Perseus this is Lucas, Head Councilor of Hermes Cabin. Lucas, this is Perseus, currently unclaimed." The boy offered me his hand and we shook.

"Nice to meet you, Percy. You can just call me Luke," he said with a grin. He let go of my hand and spread his arms wide. "Welcome to Hermes Cabin!"

"Thank," I said, looking around. "This is pretty cool. Looks kinda cramped though."

"Yeah, unfortunately some of these kids don't get claimed and get stuck here," Luke's expression darkened just a bit but was gone as quickly as it came. "But that's just the way things are." He then turned to Chiron. "I'll show the newbie around and get him settled in. See you at dinner, Chiron."

"Excellent," Chiron said with a smile. He nodded to me and Luke. "Perseus, Lucas." With that, the disguised centaur rolled out of the cabin in the direction of the Big House. Luke turned to me and clapped a hand on my shoulder.

"So… you like pranks?"

 **TCK TCK TCK**

Later that night, I lay awake in the hammock I'd been given, my hands behind my head, and stared at the stars through a skylight someone had installed in the roof. The rest of the day had been a lot of fun. Apparently, the children of Hermes and the other campers of the cabin were avid pranksters. From the benign gags like shaving cream and feathers, to full on whoopee cushions and teepeeing. According to Luke, you name a prank, someone in Hermes cabin has most likely pulled it.

Luke seemed like a really nice guy. He was tall, charismatic, easy-going, and very easy to get along with. That being said… something felt _off_ about the guy. He seemed a little _too_ easy-going. A little _too_ easy to get along with. He had power in popularity with the campers. People looked up to him and seemed to follow him blindly. The dark look he'd had when we talked about the unclaimed in Hermes had sent up a red flag. I don't know what it is, but it feels like Luke might be hiding something…

I shook my head and banished those thoughts. There was nothing I could do about it right now. I would have to bide my time and observe. Aunt Order taught me to strike from the shadows first. As I drifted off to sleep, I thought of mom, and prayed to Dad and Aunt Order that she was okay before entering the land of Hypnos.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

"Capture the flag? Seriously?" Grover laughed and motioned me to keep up. After lunch Grover and Chiron explained to me about the annual 'capture the flag' game. Apparently, they do this every year a few days after the summer break starts. We were following the horde of campers to the edge of the forest that surrounded the camp.

"Yup. There'll be two captains, each leading half the cabins. The goal is to sneak or fight your way to the other team's flag and bring it back to your team's side. The boundary line is the river that runs through the middle of the forest." I nodded slowly as Grover explained the rules. "No fatal wounds, no Greek Fire and no crippling injuries. Maiming is allowed, as well as minor wounds. Bladed weapons, spears, and archer bows are also allowed." As Grover talked my eyes were getting wider and wider. This game sounded less like a game and more like a small war. Holy shit. I just kinda… stared at him.

"Oh, is that all?" I couldn't help but snark. Grover let out a bleating chuckle. "What's the point of this game again?"

"Training mostly," Grover replied without missing a beat. "Plus bragging rights for the team that wins."

"Right." I fingered the Yin-Yang charm on my bracelet anxiously. This would be my first time in actual combat. What if I choked up and tried to parry a feint and end up knocked on my ass? My fingers moved to one of the white beads of my bracelet and I felt warmth of reassurance wash over me. I shook of my anxiousness and squared my shoulders. Aunt Order trained me well. These campers will have no idea what hit them.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

I spun left, narrowly avoiding an arrow that would have pierced my ribs, then dodged to the right and swiped upwards with Void Breaker to slice through the shaft of a spear aimed at my shoulder. The guy wielding the, now broken, spear had only a second to look shocked before I brought the hilt of my sword down on his helmet. Another arrow sailed through the air to embed itself in the dirt inches from my foot. I grabbed the spear head, still attached to a few inches of the shaft, and chucked it like a throwing knife in the direction of the archer. I heard a cry of pain and a thud, signaling the archer had fallen from the tree.

Racing through the surprisingly dense forest, I couldn't help but grin. Gods, this is fun! The adrenaline pumping, the combat. The ringing of swords and the displacement of air from arrows slicing through the winds. I never felt so alive!

The movement of a shadow and the sound of footsteps to my right halted me in my tracks. Someone was close by. Dropping into a combat stance, the obsidian blade of Void Breaker held level in front of my face defensively, I started scanning the trees. A pile of leaves shifted just as the wind died.

"Y'know," I called out, keeping my guard up, "the whole point to the 'element of surprise' thing, is making it a surprise."

There was no response, but I felt eyes watching me. I shifted my stance and slowly spun in place.

"The invisibility thing is pretty sweet. Maybe you could show me how you do that some-" I felt a subtle shift in the wind behind me and the smell of… lemon soap? I spun and raised Void Breaker just in time to block a strike from a bronze dagger that seemed to float in midair. I pushed against the blade hard and knocked off my unseen attacker. A blue, Yankees ball cap fluttered to the ground, revealing to girl with blonde hair and stormy-grey eyes that seemed to assess and analyze me. "Well, hello there," I greeted with a roguish grin. The girl blushed slightly and brought her dagger up in a defensive stance.

"Newbie?" She asked simply. I nodded.

"Perseus."

"Annabeth."

"Nice to meet you, miss," I did a small bow, still hyper-aware of the blonde girl's dagger, held in a reverse grip. Hey, it may be a fight, but manners should still be employed when in the presence of a lady. Aunt Order taught me that. Apparently this caught the girl off guard for a brief pause. "If I'm not mistaken, you bear a strong resemblance to the goddess Athena. Your mother?" That definitely caught her off guard. Distraction can be a key to coming out on top in a fight.

"Um, yes," Annabeth cocked an eyebrow, but her stance never shifted. I set the tip of my sword in the dirt and leaned on it like a cane, both hands resting on the pommel. I was kind of enjoying throwing her off so much.

"You seem to wield that dagger quite effectively," I commented nonchalantly. I carefully fingered the other charm on my bracelet; a solid bronze horn the same size as my Yin-Yang charm.

"An effective combatant needs to be well practiced in their weapon of choice," Annabeth replied mechanically, as if she had rehearsed it. She glanced down at my sword, the tip buried a few inches in the ground. "Nice sword. Gift from your parent?"

"You could say that," I shrugged and made a show of looking around. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know where the flag is, would you?" I smirked inwardly when she tensed up.

Annabeth stayed silent and her eyes narrowed. The muscles in her legs tensed and I knew she was about to launch into an attack. I remained unmoving, leaning against Void Breaker, disarmingly nonchalant. Neither of us moved. The wind blew around us. Standoff music played in my head.

Without preamble, Annabeth pushed off with her back foot and raced towards me.

With a smirk, I tugged on the bronze horn and there was a bright flash of light that blinded us. I brought my arm up and smiled with satisfaction when I heard the clang of our blades meeting. I looked up to see a shocked Annabeth staring at the newest addition to my little arsenal; Τα Κέρατα. The Horns.

The single-bladed, double-horned battle-axe gleamed in the sunlight that filtered through the forest canopy, a bronze dagger lodged between the two horns on the backside of the ax. I grinned and adjusted my grip on the ax, ensuring she couldn't break the hold, brought my foot up and kicked outwards, catching her in her armored chest plate. The stormy-eyed blonde flew back several feet and landed with an audible 'oof'.

I watched her pick herself up off the ground, my face set in stone. Annabeth coughed a bit and glared at me, her bronze dagger held in a white-knuckle grip. Before I could even think of saying something she launched herself at me like a harpy from Hades. Wrenching Void Breaker from the dirt, I had to defend quickly, akimbo style, narrowly avoiding a dagger to the shoulder. We traded blows for several minutes, blades ringing and grunts of effort echoing through the trees. The world beyond us blurred as we fought, focused solely on our fight.

Ten minutes had passed and somehow Annabeth had pushed me deeper into the forest. I knew we had shifted from where the fight had started when I felt more than heard the small creek that flowed no more than five feet behind me. The blonde pulled a sloppy move and brought her dagger down at an odd angle, allowing me to deflect with Void Breaker and push her off a good distance, granting me a brief reprieve.

We stood facing each other, sweat on our brows, our breathing heavy and labored. I glanced down at myself and was slightly surprised to find most of my shirt was shredded and I had several shallow gashes on my chest and arms. I looked up to examine Annabeth and found her to be in a similar state. A small trail of blood ran down her face from a small cut above her eye and her lip had been split. Small cuts littered her arms and her armor was scratched and dented.

Our gazes met, and I did something that really threw her off and made her pause in confusion. I smiled and started laughing.

"Why… are you… laughing?" Annabeth asked between pants. I shrugged and rolled my shoulders, satisfied to hear several pops.

"It's been… a while since… I had this much fun," I replied, having a difficult time talking between my panting and laughter. She just stared at me and fixed me with those calculating grey eyes. After a moment of catching my breath, I willed Void Breaker and the Horns to shrink back to their pendant forms and reattached them to my bracelet. I spun and started towards the creek. "Hate to break this off, but I need to cool off a bit."

"You- wha- huh?" My mouth tugged up in a smirk when the blonde sputtered in obvious frustration.

I dropped to my knees on the creeks edge, cupped my hands together and reached out to scoop up some water. The effect was almost immediate; the water in my hands seemed to spread out and cling to my skin, slowly inching along my arms and gravitating towards the many cuts and slashes. My skin began to tingle when the water reached my cuts and I watched, fascinated as the skin began to knit back together and the blood wash away. I shifted my gaze to the gently flowing water of the creek and slowly stood and moved to stand in the middle of the creek bed. A strength like I'd never felt before flowed through me and I immediately felt energized and revitalized.

Hearing a chorus of gasps I turned and swept my gaze all around. Dozens of campers had gathered around the creek and were staring, mouths agape, at something just above my head.

I glanced up and smirked inwardly at the sight of the blue, holographic trident hovering above my head.

At that moment, I spotted something that made me cock an eyebrow in surprise. Chiron had stepped out of the tree line. Yes, _stepped_. He was in his centaur form and stood at least seven and a half feet tall. His coat was a rich, chocolate-brown and covered a mass of solid muscle. Chiron was decked out in a set of leather armor and carrying an archers bow and quiver on his back.

Chiron stepped towards me and bowed slightly, his horse half bent its front legs in a strange bow.

"Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."

 **TCK TCK TCK**

"Hold on, I have to do _what_?!"

Chiron sighed and pawed at the dirt in agitation.

"You must visit the Oracle. The fact that a son of one of the Big Three shows up around the time Zeus' Master Bolt was stolen is no mere coincidence. A quest must be issued, and you must partake in said quest."

I turned to Grover for support, but the satyr was nervously chewing on an empty soda can. I couldn't help but rub my temple in annoyance.

"Alright," I turned to Chiron with a sigh. "Where is this Oracle?"

 **TCK TCK TCK**

The attic was a dusty, cluttered, menagerie of junk. Rusty, bent weapons and dented, cracked shields were scattered everywhere. Cobweb covered shelves held strange trophies and jars containing snake heads suspended in green, translucent liquid. Along the walls were various animal heads and weapons, all mounted on plaques and each had a brass plate with a name and a date engraved on it.

"Well, isn't this just _lovely_ ," I muttered to myself as I weaved my way through all the junk. "And what the _hell_ is that _smell_!?"

After a few minutes of picking my way through all the clutter and crap I found… something that freaked even _me_ out.

Propped up on a three-legged stool in a far corner of the attic was a mummy. Not the wrapped up in toilet paper, sitting in a tomb kind though.

This one was a dried-out husk of a woman. Her skin was grey and papery, and a mess of dried out black hair clung to her skull. Strangely, she was decked out in a pair of jean shorts, an orange camp shirt, and a string of beads was hanging around her neck.

As I approached, what I assumed was the Oracle, I heard a strange hissing noise fill the room and I nearly jumped out of my shoes when the Oracle's mouth opened, and a green mist started to pour out. Then she spoke.

' _I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask.'_

An involuntary shiver ran up my spine. Dad told me about the Oracle, but I never could have imagined _this_. This thing was ancient and powerful. And definitely _not_ human.

"What is my destiny?"

The mist swirled around a rather cleared out area and began to coalesce and form three humanoid shapes. The first two I recognized as Dad and Aunt Order. They stood as still as statues, with their eyes locked onto me. The third figure made me clench my fists; mom.

Dad turned to me and started to speak in a raspy, hoarse voice: _'You shall go west and face the god who has turned'_

Aunt Order spoke next: _'You shall find what was stolen and see it safely returned.'_

Mom then opened her mouth and spoke in the same, rasping voice: _'You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.'_

And finally, they all spoke as one in a creepy, harmonic voice: _'And you shall fail to save what matters most in the end.'_

The mist receded and seemed to get sucked back into the Oracle's mouth, which shut with a clicking sound.

 **TCK TCK TCK**

 **Okay guys, there we have it. The quest shall begin! Don't forget to R &R. Remember, your review can help an up and coming fanfic author keep your beautiful minds stimulated with the crazy shit that pops into my head. **

**Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	10. Ch 10: Quest Bound!

**Okay, so apparently some of you had a problem with the Annabeth x Percy fight scene. So before you get all snippity-nit-picky about details, let me explain. Percy is, as far as everyone else knows, a newbie. He's not supposed to know anything about being a half-blood. Sooo… the logical thing to do would be to hide his skills and abilities. Hmm, sounds logical doesn't it?**

 **Now, thank you those of you who enjoyed the last chapter. It was a lot of fun to write and I rather enjoyed the attic scene personally. I'll try to do some time skips, with reasonable lapses. I'll be finishing my version of the Lightning Thief with how the book ends and then some major time skips, highlighting key events, and book 2 will be the HOO storyline, chopped up like book 1.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **TCKTCKTCK**

"I'm going with you."

I spun around to find a defiant looking Annabeth with her hands on her hips and a challenging look in her eyes. I eye her for a moment, staring back into those unflinching grey eyes. I can read a lot in those eyes, no matter how hard she tries to hide it all. Pain, abandonment and loss were buried deep in those stormy pools. That's not all I see, however. I can see a hopefulness, a sense of duty to someone or something. A need to prove herself.

I don't even blink.

"Okay. Let's go." I say with a shrug and turn towards the van where Argus, a sandy-haired blonde dude with eyes all over his body, is leaning against the side panels, arms crossed and a bored look in his… eyes.

It's almost a full minute when I realize Annabeth isn't following me. I turn around to find her frozen in place and staring at me with a confused look. I sigh.

"What?"

She shakes her head slowly.

"Just like that? No argument?" Her tone conveys her disbelief.

I nod slowly and raise an eyebrow. "Yeah. Just like that. You want to come, there's plenty of room in the van with just me and Grover."

She stares at me for another minute, those grey eyes gazing into my green ones as if searching for something. Eventually she starts to nod slowly, clearly satisfied with what she's seen and starts towards the van.

As she passes me, I can hear her muttering to herself.

"Had a whole speech prepared and everything… and he just rolls with it… damn it."

I can't help but snort and shake my head in amusement. This is gonna be a fun trip. Goat-boy, miss stormy-eyes, and me. For a week. Alone. Joy.

 **TCKTCKTCK**

"A freakin' Gorgon?! Son of a bitch!" We just left Auntie Em's Garden Emporium the, now no-longer current, lair of Medusa. Yeah, the snake-hair bitch.

All three of us are bent over just outside, our breathing heavy and chests heaving. We watch as the flames begin to lick the sky.

"Nice job with that gas line, Grover," I say, patting the satyr on the shoulder.

Grover fell to the grass and just stares at the burning Emporium with a look of anguish.

"Uncle Ferdinand…" Grover mumbles quietly.

Ah. Shit. I forgot about that part.

I crouch next to him and place a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, G-Man. I really am."

"We need to go. Emergency services might be here soon and we can't afford to be sidetracked." I nod to Annabeth and haul Grover to his hooves.

"C'mon, Grover," I said with a grunt. Damn, this dude is heavier than he looks.

He just nods and the three of us take off down the road. We decide to stick to the treeline, just in case, and that turned out to be a good idea. A firetruck, two ambulances and a pair of police cruisers came flying down the little highway less than half an hour later.

"What did you find?" I nearly jumped out of my skin and looked to my left to find Annabeth walking next to me. Gods, that girl could be quiet as a mouse when she wants to. "You found something in there, what was it?" She asked again.

I debated answering for a moment but shrugged and dug into my pocket, pulling out a large, blueish-green pearl that seemed glow from within.

"Persephone's Pearl. I remember a story of Persephone hiding pearls that would allow her… nightly visitors to make a quick escape from the Underworld," I explained, handing the pearl to Annabeth and watching as she rolled it around in her palm. "If that's where we need to go, it'll be nice to have an escape plan."

"Good thinking," Annabeth smiled at me which I returned, smirking when she blushed and averted her gaze. She cleared her throat nervously and continued. "Where to next?"

"Not sure," I responded after a moment of thought. "Just keep heading West for now. We'll need to hop some trains and hitch a few rides if we're to make it there and back to Olympus in less than a week."

Annabeth nodded and glanced towards the setting sun. "Westbound it is then," she muttered. She raised an eyebrow when I started to snicker. "What's so funny?"

"Nothin'," I said with a chuckle. "Just thought of a song that's pretty appropriate for our current situation."

"What's that?"

"Westbound and Down by Jerry Reed." Annabeth gave a soft snort and smirked.

Grover sidled up between us then with a grin on his face. "Well lets load 'em up and truck 'em, good buddy! We got a run to make!"

The three of us burst into peals of laughter and, with the lyrics of the folk song stuck in our heads and a spring in our step, we continued on West, in search of Zeus' Master Bolt.

 **TCKTCKTCK**

The thing towered over us, hissing and spitting corrosive venom like a lawn sprinkler. Its heads - yes, heads plural - were weaving in and out and all around, fixing the three of us with a hungry, murderous glare.

"Y'know," I started, pulling Void Breaker from my bracelet, "I'm getting a little tired of all this snake crap."

"Blah-ha-ha," Grover bleated fearfully. "Same here!"

"Fight now, talk later!" Annabeth shouted, diving out of the path of one of the reptile's heads.

I launched myself towards the beast with my sword raised and brought it down on one of the monster's necks, slicing cleanly through meat and bone. I let out a whoop and grinned.

"Percy! That's the Hydra!"

Son of bitch.

As if to punctuate Grover's warning, two heads began to quickly sprout from the stump to join the half dozen other heads. Shit.

I ran as quickly as I could. Zig-zagging, jumping, sliding, anything and everything to avoid the snapping jaws and acidic venom. Annabeth tried to keep its attention divided, donning her Yankees cap to sneak up on the heads and stab them with her dagger. In the background I could hear Grover frantically playing his reed pipes, causing thick roots and vines to sprout from the ground in an effort to trip up and slow down the giant reptile.

C'mon Percy, think. Think! Hydra; Strengths; rapid regeneration, corrosive venom, claws like steel. Weaknesses; extreme cold, their mortal head and… fire! Sever the head, burn the stump. Where the hell am I going to get fire!?

The Hydra roared and made a swipe with its claws at my torso, only for the massive sabre-like appendages to be sliced cleanly off by Void Breaker. The beast screeched and hissed, its heads recoiling in pain.

'The Horns, Perseus.'

I stumbled slightly when I heard a deep voice echoing inside my head, and narrowly avoided another set of snapping jaws.

'My son, The Horns have been blessed. Wield it and watch the beast burn.'

With my face set in stone and a firm nod, I willed Void Breaker into its charm and pulled The Horns. Within the blink of an eye, the bronze axe settled into my palm and I felt a warmth course through the weapon. The blade was radiating an intense amount of heat, as though it had been left in a blast furnace for hours.

"Annabeth! Keep it busy, I've got a plan!"

"Hurry up, Seaweed Brain!"

"Grover, when I say, try for the thickest, strongest roots you can. Focus on the legs!"

"You got it, Perce!"

I dashed around to the nearest tree and began to scramble up the side, vaulting from branch to branch as quickly as my arms would allow. I stopped about halfway up and grinned when I saw I was a good height above the Hydra's back, I readied my blade and called out, "NOW!"

To this day I still praise Grover for the nature magic he pulled off in that fight. The pitch of the pipes deepened and roots and vines, as thick and as strong as steel cables, tore out of the earth and wrapped around the Hydra's massive, scaly legs. There's my cue.

I dropped from the tree, feet first to land in a crouch on the Hydra's back.

Ever seen one of those mechanical bulls they got in dive bars? Where everyone tries to see how long they can stay on and try to beat the record? Yeah, this was nothing like that.

Trying not to fall of this thing was like riding said mechanical bull on the highest setting... in the middle of an earthquake. The big scaly thing bucked and jumped and roared and hissed, doing everything it could to shake me loose.

Using the momentum from one of its shakes, I launched myself towards the beast's necks and swung The Horns with all my might. I felt the blade glide through the meat and bone followed by a very loud hissing sound. To this day I'm still not sure if it was the Hydra, or the stump of its neck being seared by the white-hot blade. I grinned and spun the axe in my hand.

"Say, snake face! Can I axe you a question?"

Hiss. A head was sliced and seared.

"Don't worry, I'll try not to get ahead of myself here."

Hiss. Another head.

"I just wanted to know; how you can stand being so hot-headed?"

With another half dozen swings of The Horns I finally cleaved, sliced, and chopped every last head. The Hydra shook for a moment, seemingly convulsing, what little stumps it had left wriggling and flailing in some kind of a macabre death throe. I jumped clear of the headless beast just as it fell to the ground with a massive thud that shook the earth before dissolving into golden sand and was blown away by a non-existent wind.

I fell back on the ground and took a moment to catch my breath. Auntie may have trained me in my dreams, but my physical body was not yet honed and fit enough for everything I'd been taught. A shadow fell over me and I glanced up to find an irate looking blonde glaring down at me.

'Hey there… big snake… dead… go team!" I managed to say between breaths.

"You moronic, idiotic, reckless-" I raised a hand to cut her off, which of course earned me another glare.

"Insult later," I huffed. "Gimme a minute, gorgeous."

Annabeth flushed crimson and stomped off. I chuckled a little before pushing myself up off the ground and looked around. The area looked like a twister had ran through. Trees were knocked over and ruts had been dug up by the beast's feet and claws. My eyes widened when I saw Grover lying face down in the dirt.

"Ah shit, Grover!" I ran to the prone satyr and flipped him over. A small trail of blood was leaking from his nose and his hair was matted to his forehead with sweat. "Don't you dare be dead, goat-boy!" I put my fingers to the side of his neck and held my breath which I quickly released when I felt a pulse. "Oh thank Chaos."

"Is he alright?" I glanced over my shoulder to find a worried looking Annabeth. I nodded. "Yeah, just overexerted himself with all that nature magic. Couple hours of rest and some ambrosia, a little nectar, and he'll be right as rain," as I spoke, I pulled a canteen of golden nectar from my backpack and started to trickle a little of the drink of the Gods in Grover's open mouth.

Grover swallowed reflexively and I breathed a sigh of relief when some color came back to his face and the flow of blood from his nose slowed and stopped.

"Fooood," Grover moaned in his sleep. I snorted and shook my head.

I stood and turned to Annabeth as I packed away the canteen. "It'll be dark soon. Let's set up camp for the night and we'll take off in the morning." Annabeth nodded and walked to her pack, she'd dropped it when we ran into the Hydra.

I moved to help set up the tents when a glint caught my eye. Where the Hydra had fallen was a small orb, about the size of a grape. It was bluish-green and seemed to glow from within. I walked over and picked up a familiar pearl. "Persephone's Pearl," I said quietly, rolling the smooth orb between my fingers. I grinned. "Sweet."

A couple hours later we had the tents pitched, a small fire going, and dinner cooking on a grate over the flames. I sat down with a sigh and stirred the beans in the skillet. My favorite thing to make during a camp out; canned baked-beans with bacon bits, a little seasoning, and shredded cheese.

"Smells good." Annabeth commented, taking a seat next to me.

"Thanks," I said. I took a bite and nodded, adding a little more seasoning and stirring a few more times. I spooned out two bowls and set the rest aside. Hopefully Grover will wake up soon, there's an empty can and a bowl of beans with his name on them.

"Thank you," Annabeth said with a smile when I handed her a bowl and spoon. I nodded and started in on my dinner. We ate in silence for a bit, only the sounds of the crackling flames and the chirping of crickets and frogs filled the night air. "Where did you learn to camp?"

I took a bit of beans and didn't answer for a moment. "My… mom and I used to hike and camp a lot when I was little. She taught me all about survival and camping."

Annabeth didn't say anything at first, but I could tell the question was on the tip of her tongue. "Is she still…?"

"She's alive… I think."

"You think?"

I sighed, setting my now empty bowl aside and stared into the fire. "The night I came to camp, we were being hunted by the Minotaur. We were just at the top of Half-Blood Hill when he grabbed my mom." My voice was flat and my face was set in stone as I spoke. "She disappeared in a flash of light before I could do anything."

"... I'm sorry, Percy." Annabeth squeezed my shoulder in sympathy. I didn't say anything, and before long she retired to her tent with a quiet goodnight.

"I'll get her back," I said quietly, my gaze burning like the flames I was staring at. "I will get her back. And Chaos help whoever gets in my way."

 **TCKTCKTCK**

Grover recovered quickly after a good nights rest and a belly full of beans and tin cans. It wasn't long after the Sun rose that we packed everything up and continued our way West. We ran into Medusa just a few hours from camp and the Hydra around Louisiana. From there we hopped a cargo train heading West. It took almost two days and switching off at a few stations before we made it to Colorado where we hitched a ride in the back of an animal transport. The truck was carrying a few animals to some circus based in Las Vegas.

The trailer where the animals were riding was disgusting. It smelled like crap and was absolutely filthy. Grover was understandably pissed to see how poorly these animals were treated and, admittedly, so was I.

It was in this trailer, as we trundled along the interstate, that I discovered an innate ability to talk to horses. A rather chatty zebra was talking my ear off, regaling me with stories of his home and where he was from. Funnily enough he was from New York just like me. Apparently he and a few other animals were being transported to Vegas in separate trucks to the Las Vegas Zoo. I never caught his name, but he did seem very fond of saying 'crackalackin' a lot, and he seemed to have a big issue with figuring out if he was black with white stripes, or white with black stripes.

After nearly half a day of bumpy roads and restless sleep, due in large part to a talkative zebra, the truck finally squealed to a stop. The three of us hid behind some crates when we heard the driver talking to someone near the trailer doors. The doors opened with a squeak of unoiled hinges and we heard the two men talking rather heatedly about something. When their backs were turned, we quietly raced out of the trailer and dashed for the nearest alley.

We turned a corner and came face to face with flashing neon and streets full of Elvis impersonators. Sure enough, we landed in Las Vegas, Nevada.

 **TCKTCKTCK**

The sun had set a few hours ago so we got to see Vegas in all its glory. The amount of neon was eye watering, and Elvis seemed to dominate every street corner and casino front we saw.

"Okay," I said, gazing around in awe. "This. Is. Awesome!"

Grover just nodded, eyes wide and drinking in everything with a huge grin on his face. Annabeth smiled and nodded as well.

"Okay, okay we need to find a place to rest for the night. Let's find a hotel or something and we can take off in the morning." I turned to the others. "Sound good?"

"Yup!" Grover said distractedly. "Then we hit some buffets and see some shows… right?"

"Easy there, goat-boy," Annabeth muttered. "We've only got enough money for a hotel and some food."

"Oh…" The poor satyr looked downcast but still excited just to be here.

As we walked down Las Vegas Boulevard I felt this strange sensation pulling me down the sidewalk towards one of the casino hotels.

"Percy, where are we going?" I vaguely heard Annabeth's question, but the sensation was holding most of my attention.

"I… I'm not sure," I said. "Let's try here."

Grover looked up at the sign. "Lotus Hotel and Casino. Sounds fancy."

 **TCKTCKTCK**

Fancy was right.

This place made Caesars Palace look like some two-bit gambling hall. Fountains were scattered all over the place shooting streams of colored water. Slot machines and blackjack tables filled half of the game floor, and the other half was dominated by all kinds of arcade games. From pinball to first person virtual reality games. In a mostly empty area against the back wall sat a massive buffet that stretched at least twenty or thirty feet. Music pounded away in the background, loud enough to hear, but not too loud to have to shout to be heard.

The game floor was absolutely packed with people. At the time it didn't seem odd, but I had idly noticed that not everybody was dressed the same way. Not like everyone wore the same suit or dress, but that some people wore fairly modern clothing and others wore slightly older styles. Some looked like they were from the 80's and others looked like they were from the 50's, complete with leather jackets and greased back hair.

"Hello! Welcome to Lotus Hotel and Casino!"

The three of us jumped when a man dressed in a black three-piece suit seemingly appeared out of nowhere. He was bald with grey eyes and had a rather creepy smile.

"Are you checking in?"

"Um, yeah. We'd like a couple of rooms for the night and three tickets for the buffet," I said. Something was making me uneasy about all of this, but I couldn't figure out why.

"Of course, sir," the man said with that same creepy smile. He reached into his jacket and pulled out two key cards and three tickets. "Rooms 306 and 307 are available and here are three for the buffet. We at Lotus hope you enjoy your stay." I took the cards and tickets and nodded.

"Uh, thanks." The man just smiled and walked away. I turned to the others and cocked an eyebrow. "Ooo-kay. So avoid Mr. Creepy."

Annabeth snorted and shouldered her pack. "Lets go. No offense, but you and goat-boy could use a shower, and I could too."

I snickered when I saw Grover sniff his pit and try not to pass out. "Okay, fair enough."

 **TCKTCKTCK**

An hour later the three of us emerged from our rooms feeling clean and refreshed and headed down to the game floor.

"Y'know, it's only been a few days since we left camp, yet I didn't think I'd miss showers so much," I admitted, leading the others towards the buffet.

"No argument there," Grover murmured, eyeing the paper plates hungrily. Annabeth just nodded and filled her plate.

We found a table booth tucked away in a corner of the dining area and sat down to eat. We chatted for a few hours as we ate about insignificant topics. Annabeth and I apparently shared an appreciation for the NY Yankees, and Grover and I actually had a lot to talk about in terms of animal treatment and wildlife preservation. It felt good to just sit and eat and talk with friends, it was a good way to ease my mind and help me relax a little.

"We're on the home-stretch, guys," I said with a smile.

Grover scratched his furry chin thoughtfully. "Wonder how we're going to make it back to Olympus before the Solstice. I mean, it's taken us half a week to get this far, and we still have another day, at least, before we get to Los Angeles."

"I'm sure we'll find a way," Annabeth assured. I could practically hear the gears in her head turning.

I stood and stretched, sighing contentedly with a full stomach. "Until then, let's take a well-deserved break and enjoy ourselves for the night. There's an Aliens 2 shooter game over there with my name on it." A slapped Grover on the shoulder and pulled him with me as I started towards the game floor, Annabeth keeping pace behind us. "C'mon, G-Man, I need a partner to fight the hordes of Xenomorphs that threaten the fate of the human race!"

Grover bleated out a laugh and slung his arm around my shoulders. "Count me in!"

"I'm surrounded by dorks," Annabeth muttered, loud enough for us to hear. Grover and I just grinned and I threw an arm around her shoulder too.

"Ah, lighten up, Wise Girl," I said, squeezing her shoulders lightly. "Nothin' eases the mind like a bit of mindless, flashy video games with guns and exploding, otherworldly creatures!"

Annabeth just stared at me and slowly shook her head. "Again, I'm surrounded by dorks."

 **TCKTCKTCK**

 **There. Think I did pretty well on the time skips. Gave y'all some action, some bonding, a few cameos and references. Didja catch 'em? Heh-heh. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	11. Ch 11: My Friends and I Go To Hell

**To be fair, I included maybe two or three aspects of the movie. Why? Because it plays a key part in my story. There is a reason they went to Lotus instead of Crusty's, so that I may introduce or include some key details/characters. Believe me, I hated the movie as well. Characters were six years older than their book counterparts, Annabeth was a brunette instead of a blonde, Kronos became that big demon looking dude, and we got ZERO R.E.D., and that ticked me off. So believe me, I will not be including details from the movie. Lotus was in fact in the books but was only mentioned.**

 **Mini-rant over, I apologize. On to a couple review responses.**

 **Charlee56: Thank you for being such an avid follower of this story. Your comments help in keeping me motivated about writing this little ficcy. I'm trying to not include movie details so no Lotus flowers. Kinda fun, but not my cup of tea.**

 **SpartanBoy: I apologize for the confusion. Perhaps I should've included such a detail beforehand. And don't worry, a lot of people are snippety-nit-picky. Also, isn't that such a fun word to say?**

 **Enjoy!**

 **TCKTCKTCK**

"Grover? What's with the sniffer?"

Grover and I were in the middle of a game of Aliens II when he just stopped and started sniffing the air, his eyes narrowed and scanning the room.

"I'm… not sure," He answered slowly, still casting his gaze around the cavernous room. "I smell something… odd. Like fire and brimstone."

Klaxons started going off in my head and I instinctively knew something was up. I lowered the plastic rifle controller and started looking around as well. Everything seemed normal… for the most part. Other than the oddly dressed people who looked like they were still in the 1950's, the only thing that seemed out of the ordinary were two kids, a girl who looked about my age, and a boy a couple years younger, who looked to be by themselves. No adults hovered nearby, and the pair looked like they were pretty close. I knew that look. That was the look of two people who were truly alone and had no one else in their life. I was about to skip over them and keep scanning the room when I saw something... _radiating_ from the boy.

I concentrated on Dad's blessing, which allowed me to read auras and focused on the kids. I blinked once, and the world suddenly faded, colors washing out to look like an old, sepia toned photograph. Everything was washed in a muted amber color. All around me I saw shades of translucent white, meshing and twisting together, mixing with the sounds of laughter and chatter. These were the regular people. The humans who didn't have Godly DNA in their blood. I shifted my gaze to Grover and was slightly amused to see his aura was a deep, forest-green with bits of earthen brown mixed in. I turned towards the kids and my eyes bulged with what I saw.

Black.

The two practically radiated darkness.

And Death.

I shivered involuntarily and blinked again, allowing the sepia to fade away and be filled in by the usual bright colors of the casino.

"Hmm, guess it's nothing," Grover muttered and turned back to the game. My eyes were still on the kids. They seemed to be really focused on a couple of pinball machines.

"I'll be right back, G-Man. I saw a pretty sweet pinball game I want to try," I set the gun down and started towards the kids.

"Okay, Perce."

I weaved my way through the crowd, making sure not to seem suspicious and like I was focused purely on them.

"Hey," I greeted the two, sidling up next to them at one of the games.

The girl glanced up at me and eyed me up and down a couple times. My mouth stretched into my signature lopsided grin and the girl blushed, diverting her gaze back to her game quickly.

The boy looked up and smiled shyly. "Hi."

"Sorry to bother you two. I just wanted to ask you how you like this game. I haven't played it yet and I'm curious." I said, feigning ignorance.

The boy grinned and began explaining the game excitedly, showing me how he figured out how to rack up a huge amount of points.

"Man, you sure know a lot about this game," I said with a smile. "I'm Percy, by the way. Percy Jackson."

"Nico Di Angelo," the boy returned the smile. He gestured to the girl beside him. "This is my sister Bianca."

I smiled and nodded. "Nice to meet you, Nico," I looked at the girl, who met my eyes, and winked. "Bianca."

She blushed bright red, looking away quickly and mumbling a hello.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed that creepy, bald guy from earlier. He was watching us closely, trying to seem like he wasn't watching us. That bad feeling from earlier sent off a klaxon in my head again.

Something is _seriously_ wrong here.

"Look, it was nice to meet you guys. Maybe we can play a game together later." I had to find Annabeth and Grover and get the hell out of here. Fast.

After a few minutes of searching I found Annabeth at a Virtual Reality Building game. I was really impressed with the building she was designing, and I would have taken a minute to really admire it, but there were more pressing concerns at the moment.

I grabbed her arm to get her attention. "We need to leave. Now."

She looked like she wanted to argue until she saw the deadly calm look in my eyes and the underlying panic it hid. "What is it? Monsters?"

"I don't know," I admitted. My heart pounded when I noticed a lot of the casino employees gathering nearby. "What I do know is something is seriously wrong with this casino and we need to get the hell out of here." Annabeth and nodded and together we started towards where I last saw Grover. I leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Act natural and don't do anything to make them suspicious. Let's find Grover and go."

It took a while to find him, but eventually we found the satyr standing next to the largest fountain sitting in the middle of the game floor. He was staring up at a large fixture on the top of the fountain.

"Grover, we need to get out of here." I grabbed his shoulder, but he didn't budge.

He pointed to the fixture. "Percy, look."

I glanced up and did a double take. A familiar bluish-green orb was fixed in place in the marble like a gemstone. Glancing around at the casino employees, the number of seemed to have doubled by the way, I made a quick decision. Sure, we had to get out fast, but that pearl was my only guarantee that my friends would make it out of the Underworld without a problem.

"Ah, screw it! All or nothing!" I turned to Annabeth and pointed to the door. "Take Grover and head to the exit. I'll grab the pearl and meet you outside."

"But-" 

"Go! I'll be alright," I smiled reassuringly and stepped back into the fountain.

When I saw Annabeth and Grover start for the exit I concentrated on the water and felt a tug in my gut. The water obeyed and began to swirl, lifting me up effortlessly towards the pearl. It took a little jimmying and some elbow grease, but I popped out the pearl and quickly dropped to the ground. The second my feet hit the floor I took off towards the exit.

Security and casino employees swarmed around me and I grinned. My blood was pumping a mile a minute and my adrenaline was flowing. Chaos! I love a good chase!

"Pardon me!" I shouted slipping between people and pushing my way through the crowd. "Pre-teen half-blood with a sword coming through!"

Nearing the doors I saw a half-dozen casino goons blocking the exit. I nearly skid to a halt by the weirdness before me; each goon was wearing a white, expressionless mask, a pair of crisp, white gloves, and wielding dress canes, of all things. They held them like clubs, some rearing back their arms to take a swing at me. To this day I have absolutely no idea why, but the moment I caught sight of the casino goons, the words 'beyond the beef' popped in my head.

I threw out my hand as I continued towards the exit, focusing all my power on the fountains nearest the doors. A strong tug, like a hook latching onto my gut, was the only warning I got before hundreds of gallons of water exploded from the marble fountains and rushed at the six thugs like a miniature tsunami.

As quick as you could say Dean Martin, the six thugs were washed away like sand on a beach, crying out in confusion and shock when they were slammed into a wall, all colliding with one another in a jumbled heap.

"Damned half-blood!" A voice hissed out in rage. I turned my head to find Mr. Creepy charging at me with a massive butchers' knife. "No one leaves The Lotus!"

With hardly a thought I drew Void Breaker and launched myself in the air as he drew closer. I spun once, reached out with my sword to block his blade and planted my shoe in Mr. Creep's temple. The bald man crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut and fell to the floor unconscious. I landed in a crouch a few feet from the doors and almost casually walked towards them with my hands in my pockets.

I laughed to myself and shook my head. "Ain't that a kick in the head?"

 **TCKTCKTCK**

"What the hell?" I said aloud, looking around in confusion. It was daylight outside, around noon if the sun, sitting high in the sky, was any indication.

"Percy, look at this!" I turned to find Grover and Annabeth, the latter holding up a newspaper. Walking over and taking it I quickly read the front page.

My eyes widened in shock and I looked up at my friends in disbelief. "We were in there for _two days_!?" They both nodded. "How? We just got here like two hours ago!"

Annabeth bit her lower lip and got this far-away look in her eyes, a look I've come to recognize as her 'I'm thinking, don't interrupt for fear of your life' look. "It's probably some kind of time bubble spell. Inside the bubble, time remains stationary, while on the outside everything keeps moving. I didn't realize it until now, but I think that was the lair of the Lotus-Eaters."

I raced along the 'shelves' in my mind to search for something referencing the 'Lotus-Eaters'. Seconds later I found it. _Lotus-Eaters: An ancient tribe known for their lust for the fruit of the Lotus Tree. Native to an island off the coast of Libya. Rumored to ensnare their victims with the lotus fruit. Reasons for such are currently unknown._

' _Dad, lets add this to the list, eh? Also, we need to look into Bianca and Nico Di Angelo. They're half-bloods trapped in the casino. Judging by their aura's I suspect they're Hade's spawn.'_ I thought to myself, sending a mental message to my father.

He responded almost immediately. _'_ _ **Hmm… that is peculiar. I will see to it, my son. These creatures must be incredibly skilled to have eluded me for so long. I never cared for their glutinous behavior towards that narcotic fruit**_ _'_

I nodded and turned my attention back to my friends. Annabeth had just finished explaining who the Lotus-Eaters are and poor Grover looked like he was going to faint from fear.

"The important thing is we got out of there." I said, walking to the curb. "Right now we need to focus on getting to L.A." I hooked both pinkies in the corners of my mouth and gave a loud, shrill, New York whistle. Half a moment later a taxi pulled up in front of me.

The window rolled down to reveal a grey-haired man with a big beard and kind, ice-blue eyes. "Where ya headed, son?"

"You wouldn't be able to take us to L.A. by any chance, would you?"

"Uh, well… it's a rather long drive - and it'll cost quite a bit to get there." The old man said with a reluctant look.

Quick as a flash, and making sure Grover and Annabeth couldn't see, I pulled out a black credit card and showed it to the driver. "Money isn't an issue. Time is. The faster you get us there, the bigger the tip."

He was clearly wary about hauling three kids across state lines with no sign of an adult in their company, but the black card clearly showed him the light. "Alright, kid. Hop in. I can have you three there in just a few hours."

"Thank you," I smiled gratefully and motioned to Grover and Annabeth to pile in.

With our bags stowed in the trunk and the three of us parked in the back seat, the cab started south-east, black smoke, a clear sign of an engine burning oil, belching out behind us as we started towards the end of our quest.

 **TCKTCKTCK**

Just as the cabbie promised, who's name we quickly learned to be Arthur, less than four hours later we found ourselves cruising down the San Bernardino Freeway into the heart of L.A..

The city was gorgeous. Palm trees lined the streets and stood nearly a story high. The buildings we passed were all rather extravagant and clean. Judging by the looks Annabeth was giving the buildings, she was absolutely enthralled by the architecture of the city.

Grover and I felt like we'd been entranced by sirens when we spotted dozens of bikini-clad women parading up and down the sidewalks. Annabeth thankfully slapped the sides of our heads, waking us from our trance, all while muttering something about 'pervy boys'... whatever that means.

"Where to kids?" Asked Arthur, glancing at us over his shoulder.

"I don't remember the address," I replied, scanning the buildings as we drove. "Would you mind driving around for a bit? I'll probably recognize it if we pass by something familiar."

Arthur grumbled a bit but acquiesced and started making random lefts and rights. Meanwhile I was reaching out with my senses, searching for anything out of the ordinary for everyday L.A.. Sure enough, after about a half hours of side streets, I felt an odd sensation calling to me. I knew where to go. Or, what direction to go anyway.

"This left… that next right… and just down the street on the left." Arthur followed my directions and a few minutes later we found ourselves outside of a two-story building with a grey stone facade and blacked out windows.

We thanked Arthur and piled out of the cab, I paid for the trip, and tipped him rather generously for the trouble, and a few moments later the Vegas taxi had disappeared around the corner.

I turned to the building and looked up at the massive sign above the door. "DOA Recording Studios… DOA… Dead on Arrival? Seriously?" I snorted and shook my head. "The Gods have a really weird sense of humor."

"C'mon," Annabeth started towards the door, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "The sooner we get this over with, the better."

"Right."

The three of us entered into the lobby and froze. In all the chairs and in a line by the elevator were dozens of ghosts, all floating or moaning aimlessly about the room. The temperature in the lobby, compared to outside, was like stepping into a deep freeze. Within moments our teeth were chattering, and goosebumps had risen on our arms. Seeing the elevator as the only other set of doors, we started towards them, coming up on a sort of check-in desk. Behind the desk was a bald man in a black suit, wearing black sunglasses, and his skin was so pale it looked transparent.

It wasn't until we got closer that I realized he _was_ transparent.

"Two demigods and a satyr," the man said in a bored tone. He seemed to sniff the air and stare at us with a slight frown. "Neither of you are dead or dying. What is your purpose here?"

The man's voice was cold and disinterested, and made me shiver. I mustered my courage and approached the desk. "We'd like to visit Hades' Palace. We have… information I'm sure he'd like."

He just stared at me for a moment, his eyebrows raised slightly. Whether in surprise or incredulity, I'm not sure which. "Look, kid, no one living just enters the Underworld. Either take a number or come back when you're dead." He waved his hand dismissively and called for the next ghost in line.

I was starting to get a little pissed. Who was this jackass? My fingers started inching towards my sword and I was so ready to cut this asshole down to size.

' _ **Peace, Perseus.'**_ A soothing voice whispered in my head. _**'The man is Charon, he was tasked many eons ago to guide the dead into the underworld for judgement. It is his duty to deter living souls from entering Hades' realm. Offer him gold and he may be swayed.'**_

' _Thanks, Dad._ ' I reached into my pack and pulled out a small, leather sack. I opened and pulled out a handful of gold drachmas. "How about we make a deal?" I asked Charon, stacking two coins on the desk with each word. "Twelve gold, and we take a little trip downstairs."

Charon's eyes never left the stack of gold on his desk. I could almost see him debating in his head. Eventually he began to slowly nod. "Alright, kid. You got a deal."

"Ah, ah, ah." I grabbed half the stack of coins when he reached for them. "Half now, and half on the way back."

"Percy-" I subtly nudged Grover with my elbow and shook my head, silently telling him to stay quiet.

"Fine. You got a deal," the ferryman grumbled, gathering the coins and slipping them in an inside pocket of his suit jacket. He gestured for us to follow and pressed the call button on the elevator. There was a brief pause and the doors opened, allowing the four of us to pile in. Charon glanced around at us briefly and reached to punch the button for the lowest level. I kind of snorted when I saw what it read: _Ground Floor_.

The lift began to descend with barely a whisper and music began playing quietly from some hidden speaker. When I realized what was playing I snorted again and shot Charon and incredulous look. "AC/DC? Really?"

Charon shrugged and adjusted his black sunglasses. "The boss man is a fan. He found this song to be rather appropriate."

"That's one way to put it."

The ride down to Hades was actually a lot faster than what I had anticipated, considering the Underworld was supposedly several leagues below the surface. Barely ten minutes later the elevator came to a gentle halt and a soft, feminine voice rang out. "Ground Level. Welcome to Hell."

"Y'know, you people really are reaching with all the Hell puns," I commented dryly.

Charon merely smirked and motioned for us to follow him. "C'mon kiddies, we're taking the detour route. No need to pass Judgement when you aren't even dead."

We followed the ferryman in silence for a good twenty or thirty minutes, and the things we saw as we walked would probably scar the bravest of men. Screams and wails of agonizing pain were a constant on the route we took. Grover and Annabeth were somehow ignoring the sounds of torture and constant agony. I, however, heard everything as if I had a front row seat.

The sounds were bad enough, catching sight of a few of the scenes however… never has the name Hell been so true to its name. I saw men fixed to large 'X' shaped constructs, screaming as large birds swooped down upon them with razor sharp claws and beaks, ripping and shredding their flesh. Blood ran in a constant river and the sickeningly-sweet smell of rotting flesh filled the air. Others were being whipped with strands of fire, wielded by denizens of the underworld.

"Going for the scenic route, eh, ferryman?" I muttered, fighting the urge to vomit.

Charon looked surprised and stared at me behind those blacked out glasses, his eyebrows almost in his… non-existent hairline. "You can see?"

I nodded and stared straight ahead. "Yeah… I can see."

 **TCKTCKTCK**

 **Little bit of a filler chapter this round. Mostly just trying to get this quest over with so I can get on with the REAL story. So I'm sorry if this chappy was a bit dull, though I tried to spice it with some humor and a little action.**

 **This quest is mainly just the preamble to the full story. I gotta get this bit out of the way before the fun can begin. Mostly for background purposes.**

 **Also, if you're a fan of HP fanfics where Harry is an OP badass with human qualities, I suggest you check out midnightjen's trilogy** _ **Blood of The Phoenix.**_ **Totally awesome fic that had me sucked in almost immediately.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	12. Ch 12: A Snowball's Chance

**This is where things take a very AU approach. The reason for my skipping of the encounters in St. Louis and the beach will be explained in this chapter. And okay, I'll admit, I used more movie details than I realized, and I apologize. I didn't care for the movie, but a few details I liked and decided to include them. I don't plan on using more movie details, but if I do, I might not realize.**

 **Honestly, as long as you guys like the story, then I'm happy.**

 **Also, they were in Las Vegas, and I'm an avid player of Fallout and New Vegas is my all-time favorite, so of course I'm going to include a few bits.**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

 **TCKTCKTCK**

"I swear to Gods, if you don't stop humming _Highway to Hell_ , I'm going to shove my dagger where the Sun doesn't shine," Annabeth growled, shooting me an irritated glare.

I, of course, did the mature thing and stopped… to grin impudently and stick my tongue out at her. Grover snorted but his attention was mostly focused on our rather… unpleasant surroundings.

We'd been following Charon for what seemed like hours now but was really only about half an hour. Then again, I think dad told me time runs differently in the Underworld. A half hour to us may have been two hours topside. Regardless, our motley group came upon a set of massive, midnight-black stone doors.

And in front of those doors? An equally massive, three-headed dog.

This thing could've made a fishing boat look like a bath toy.

It easily stood four stories tall, with three pairs of hungry red eyes and three sets of massive, gleaming white teeth. Funnily enough, it looked more like a giant, three-headed rottweiler. And if this monstrosity of teeth and claws wasn't unsettling enough, the way the three heads ignored everyone else and stared directly at me and sniffed the air curiously certainly was.

My breath caught in my throat and my blood ran cold. This beast was the brother of the Hydra and the Chimera. One of the offspring of Echidna and Typhon. And it could smell me. It could smell the blood of _Chaos_. "Cerberus…" though it was only a whisper that even Grover couldn't hear, the guardian of the Underworld cocked all three of its heads and regarded me with a curious, yet non-threatening, look.

"S'alright, boy!" Charon called up to the big mutt. "Just taking a couple of demigods and a satyr to see the boss-man." The ground shook when Cerberus' mighty tail thumped up and down, clearly happy when the ferryman patted him on the leg affectionately as we passed the guard dog.

I paused next to the overgrown mutt and stared up at him, my own curiosity overriding the fear I first felt. The middle head leaned down towards me, its nose less than a foot from my face, and sniffed. The force of which nearly sucked me in like a vacuum, and that was not the way I wanted to go. Nothing worse than death by being snorted up a massive dog nose. I raised a shaky hand to the massive nose and patted him softly, prompting the thunderous sound of his tail slapping the brimstone.

"Best not to give away the big surprise, eh Cerby?" I told the massive hound quietly, my voice just above a whisper. Cerberus whined and prodded my chest gently with his nose. "Trust me, boy. It'll be worth it in the end." He panted happily and opened his mouth to drag a huge, rough tongue over my torso and face, absolutely bathing me in dog slobber. I looked down at my shirt, mildly grossed out and glared half-heartedly at the big mutt. "You're lucky I can control water, or else I'd find the biggest newspaper possible and swat your nose… _noses_ with it."

Cerberus just panted and gave me three big doggy grins.

I smiled and pat the middle nose again. "Now, be a good boy and maybe I'll see you again soon." Cerberus whined once more before he sat back in the spot we'd found him, and I jogged to quickly catch up with the tour. I focused for a fraction of a second and willed the doggy drool to slide right off, leaving me dry but with the tell-tale scent of dog breath on my skin.

We found ourselves in a long, torch-lit hallway that seemed to go on for ages. Dimly lit alcoves showed various monster heads, limbs, weapons and so on. The whole hallway seemed like some strange trophy hall. A few minutes of walking and we came upon a set of double doors. They were black like the entrance but half as tall and grander. Made from some onyx stone, it was embedded with hundreds of precious stones and gems, all gleaming and sparkling like stars upon the night sky.

The sight of such a grand door made me flash back to something dad had told me, about the first time he had visited me when I was born; _'One day you will be strong enough to shift mountains, split continents...possibly even pull the stars themselves from the skies.'_ Admittedly, I had to restrain myself from walking up to those onyx barriers and pluck out one of those precious stones.

"Here we are, kiddies. End of the line." Charon's dry voice woke me from my reverie and I turned to watch him grab one of the large, black door knockers and bang it against the surface.

There was absolute silence for a long, tense minute before a powerful voice boomed. "Enter!"

The doors swung open with an ominous groan - classic movie cliché - to reveal a throne room half the size of a football field. Torch grates lined the walls, burning green with Greek fire and casting the room in an eerie light. On a raised portion of the floor at the back of the room sat two thrones. Both were tall enough to accommodate someone easily fifteen feet tall. The one on the left was pitch black and covered in precious stones, all set to depict rather macabre pictures that seemed to swirl around the onyx throne, and an aura of coldness radiated from it. The one on the right was a rather stark contrast to everything we had seen so far; it was marble white and covered in carvings of wheat and fruit trees and the marble radiated a warmth and comfort that seemed to settle our nerves.

Upon these thrones were a man and a woman. The man was sallow looking and pale but radiated an aura that screamed pain and death and power. He was bald, with pure black eyes and a black goatee. The man wore a black Greek chiton, clasped at the shoulders with silver badges and patterned with pictures of people suffering eternally.

The woman, on the other hand, was tanned and beautiful, with long, honey-blonde hair in a braid draped over her shoulder, and warm, brown eyes. She was clad in a white and gold chiton dress, clasped at her left shoulder with a gold badge.

As one, the three of us kneeled and bowed our heads. I broke the silence with the calmest, steadiest voice I could muster. "It is an honor to be in your presence Lord Hades, Lady Persephone."

If I didn't have my head down, I would have caught the look of surprise and the curious glance the two deities shared. Hades' deep timber rang out after a brief, tense pause. "Rise, demigod, and state your business."

I stood slowly, shifting my backpack off my back to set it on the floor. "My Lord, my friends and I were sent on a quest by the Oracle several days ago. We were tasked to travel West to retrieve Zeus' Master Bolt-"

"Zeus' Bolt?" Hades asked, cutting me off. "Why, in the name of Chaos, would that airhead's master weapon be here?"

Hmm, so he doesn't know… clearly Hades was not the one to send his nephew after the Bolt. Else I would be a pile of ashes right now… I think I could play this to my advantage.

You could have cut the air with a knife it was so thick with tension. I remained kneeling, counting the seconds until I'd be blasted into the afterlife.

"What is your name, demigod?" The deep timber of Hades was startlingly calm and curious.

 _Time to nut up or shut up._ "Perseus Jackson, my Lord."

"YOU!" The God of the Underworld boomed, rising from his throne with a look of pure rage. "So you finally show yourself? After having stolen my Helm, you've also stolen my brother's Master weapon?!"

Despite the ice in my veins and the fear that crawled up my spine, I remained kneeling with my head bowed. I could sense Grover and Annabeth backing away a couple feet, but I held my ground and didn't give an inch.

"I understand your ire, Lord Hades, but I would swear on my life, I had nothing to do with the theft of two Master weapons."

"Lies!" Hades roared, I felt the smooth, stone floor tremble slightly as the god started towards me. "To dare lie to me in my own home?" There was a ringing sound and I felt the cool, sharp point of a sword under my chin and my head was raised so the angry god could see my face. His voice was deadly calm and sharp as the blade in his hand. "Give me one reason, boy, why I shouldn't just toss you in the Pit, and let the beasts of Tartarus have their fun."

I looked him straight in the eye, steeling my resolve, and answered. "I would swear upon the Styx."

You could have heard a pin drop.

Hades eyes widened minutely before narrowing. The sword remained at my throat for a long, terrifying moment. I had to hold back a wince when I felt a bit of blood trail down my neck.

"Oh for the love of Chaos," a soft, feminine voice said sharply, breaking the silence. "Husband let him up this instant! Clearly the boy has not stolen your Helm, else he would not compose himself so well and offer to swear on the Styx to prove so." I chanced a glance at the speaker to see Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, approaching with a scowl on her face directed at her husband.

"Wife…" Hades growled.

"Do not 'wife' me!" Persephone admonished sharply. "Let him up, Hades. I will not say it again."

After another tense moment, the blade was removed with a growl and I was allowed to stand. I bowed to Persephone gratefully. "Thank you, my Lady."

Persephone regarded me with a curious look, then smiled warmly. She crossed the room and laid a calming hand on the arm of a still glaring Hades. "Forgive my husband. It would seem the three brothers all share a temper."

"All is forgiven, my Lady," I said simply with a shrug. "Lord Hades was right in his anger. With the monsters I have fought proclaiming me this 'Lightning Thief', it was reasonable to assume I may have stolen his Helm." Turning to Hades again, I bowed my head. "Apologies, again, Lord Hades, for the confusion."

Surprised at my words and actions, the Dead King simply nodded his acceptance of my apology.

"That being said…" I began, smiling at the two gods' curious looks. "While I did not steal your Helm, Lord Hades… I do know who did."

"Who?" Was his cold reply.

I reached into my pack and slowly retrieved a gleaming bronze war helmet. It was polished to a high shine and was engraved with depictions of death. Kneeling, I offered the helmet to the shocked god. "Your nephew, my cousin, the War god… Ares." I vaguely heard my friends gasp quietly behind me.

Like a switch had been thrown, the shadows in the room grew and a feeling of intense cold and hopelessness pervaded the air. The anger and rage in Hades face was almost palpable and it sent a niggle of fear through me.

With slow and coldly calculated movements, Hades lifted the helmet from my hands and sat it upon his head. Immediately the bronze blackened and seemed to melt, shifting its shape to solidify into a wreath of bones that crackled with black fire.

"By all my power I will personally rend that little prick from this Earth. He will experience the deepest, coldest pits of Tartarus!" A black aura exploded from the Helm of Darkness at Hades outburst, filling me and my friends with an unnatural sense of fear and terror.

"Peace, husband," Persephone said softly, somehow ignoring the aura of fear and placing a calming hand on Hades' arm. "We will bring this before the council and let their decision dictate his punishment."

The irate god calmed considerably, and the room grew lighter, the shadows retreating as well as our feeling of intense fear. Hades sighed deeply, and I was slightly startled to see him give Persephone a small, but warm smile. "Of course, my love. Thank you."

"I am not the one you should be thanking, husband," the goddess said pointedly, gesturing to me. I almost snickered at the abashed look on Hades' face.

"Err, yes, of course," Hades said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. He turned to me with cold eyes, but there was a glimmer of gratitude in their inky depths. "You have my thanks, Perseus Jackson. If there is anything I can do for you, within reason, I shall grant it."

I'll admit, it took me a moment to truly grasp Hades' words, his promise of aide shocking me to my core. The God of the Underworld, without a doubt one of the grumpiest and angriest of the Big Three, was offering me a favor. I shook myself and pondered what I should ask for. Obviously we'd need a guide, to find wherever, or whoever, we needed to find down here, if not to find who stole the Bolt. I already know who was to blame for that. There was also another thing that would probably benefit mine and dad's mission and retrieving the Helm for Hades had been a key part.

During our little cross-country trip, there were several places I had sensed some rather ancient and powerful monsters. I had scented out a Chimera as we passed St. Louis, and something that smelled like old mattresses and death about a block from DOA Studios, so I sure as hell made sure we stayed away from those places. It was when we passed through Colorado and rented a motel room for the night that I got a mental message from dad. Apparently the brainless war god was riding some kind of beefed up motorcycle across state lines and would be driving through Colorado on his way to the West Coast. Presumably to find me before I made it to the Underworld.

So, naturally, I left when my friends had fallen asleep and took a cab to where my dad said Ares would be taking a pitstop.

After a ten-minute drive, the cab dropped me off at some gas station off a little back road near the mountains. I found the meathead across the street in an empty lot, digging through one of the massive saddlebags on his bike. On first glance, the god didn't seem like much. He was big, with broad shoulders and a barrel chest, decked out in a black leather vest and riding boots. Stonewashed, blue jeans and a white shirt, a skull bandana wrapped around his head and a pair of black aviators completed his ensemble. Honestly, he looked more like a Hells Angel than a divine being.

Until he looked up, that is.

Through the pitch black of his shades, there was an eerie, bright red glow where his eyes would be. And he was staring right at me. Ares seemed to sniff the air and fixed me with an ugly grin. "Thought I smelled a demigod. And my uncle's kid to boot." He shifted the kickstand of the bike and threw his leg over the side to stand next to it, crossing his arms and leaning against the frame. "So, what's a little punk like you doin' in a place like this?"

"Oh, not much really," I replied casually, my hands in my pockets and Void Breaker's charm in my right palm. "I heard from a little bird that some dumbass was looking for me." I cocked an eyebrow and regarded him with a smirk. "That wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"

Ares chuckled darkly and started to slowly reach into his saddlebag. "You've got some brass, punk. It's a shame I'll have to teach you a lesson for insulting a god." He extracted his arm from the bag and with it he pulled out a massive, double-edged bastard sword. The blade alone was easily four-feet of razor-sharp celestial bronze, with a two-handed hilt. A red aura clung to the blade and radiated a feeling of aggression.

I let out a slow whistle and feigned surprise. "Nice sword. A little big though. Compensating for something?" Ares growled and shifted into a fight stance. I pulled Void Breaker's charm from my pocket and grinned. "My turn." I flipped the charm like a coin and after a brief glow, it shifted into the form of my trusty sword.

"Cute sword, punk," Ares commented with a condescending chuckle. The bandana on his head burst into black flames and emitted an aura of fear. "You honestly think you can take me with that puny thing?"

The Helm! So that's where it is. Perfect.

Without warning, I advanced and brought my blade down towards his head. I could see his surprise at my speed, but he brought his sword up just in time to block my attack. Void Breaker collided with his blade and, to his utter shock, bit into the metal of his sword. "It's not the size that matters, Ares," I admonished with a grin. "It's how you use it!"

Ares pushed me off and swung his sword in response. And so the fight began. For several minutes we traded blows, swords ringing and curses flying, mostly from the war god. The god was good, very good, considering his domain, but I was better. For every single strike on me, I gained three on him. It wasn't long before cuts opened up on Ares face, chest, and arms, spilling golden ichor on the concrete. I had my fair share of nicks and cuts as well, but I was grinning the whole time.

My fight with Annabeth during capture the flag was intense and was hands down the best first fight I've had so far. My fight with Ares, however? It made Annabeth seem like the noob - please don't tell her I said that. The war god's strength and ruthlessness was staggering, and he would have easily cleaved me in two if I wasn't as experienced as I was.

Anyway, back to the fight.

The war god made to feint, which was exactly what I was waiting for. While he was much stronger than me, my skill with a blade and my speed was enough to outmatch him. I parried the feint and stepped inside, swinging my foot around to catch the back of his knee, forcing him to kneel, grunting in pain. I twisted my sword hand, catching his hilt with mine and dislodging the blade from his grip. The massive sword clattered to the ground and I smacked Ares upside the head with the flat of my blade. He fell onto his back groaning, and I took the opportunity to level my blade at his throat.

Ares glared up at me with equal parts anger and respect. "You got some skill, punk." He spit some ichor out on the ground. "So what now? Kill me and send me to Tartarus?"

"Nope," I replied after a long pause. I raised my blade and willed it back into its charm. "I've got other plans. What would you say to a change in management?"

"The hell are you talking about?"

"War." Ares perked up at that. "That's why you stole the Helm and the Bolt, right? For a war between the two big players in Olympus?" His silence was all the answer I needed. I crouched down and offered him a square of ambrosia. "What would you say if I promised you a real war? Not just between the airhead and barnacle beard, but between half the council, at least. One where the victors take the glory, but the world is the better for it. A different council, comprised of old and new gods, where everyone gets their own little piece to do with as they please… within reason, of course."

Ares reached out for the ambrosia square but hesitated when I finished my little speech. I could practically hear the rusty gears in his head turning, processing everything I said, and tallying up the pros and cons. He met my eyes and nodded once, accepting the food of the gods. "I'm in."

If Ares was easy to convince, maybe I could persuade the eldest of the Big Three onto my side. Worth a shot, anyway.

"If you would be so kind as to grant me a private audience, Lord Hades, I would be grateful."

Hades regarded me with a suspicious look but nodded his agreement. "Very well." He turned to Persephone and gestured to my friends. "Wife, perhaps you could entertain Mr. Jackson's friends until we are finished?"

The Queen of the Underworld smiled and nodded.

"Come, Jackson." Hades turned, motioning to follow, and we crossed the throne room to a door off to the side. It was a rather quaint room, remarkably similar to the sitting room in dad's domain. Two black, leather, high-back chairs were arranged before a large onyx fireplace. A greenish fire burned in the grate, filling the cold room with a comfortable warmth. "Please, sit."

I complied, waiting until Hades was seated first before I took the chair opposite him.

"Now," Hades began, steepling his hands and looking at me curiously. "What is this about?"

"When I encountered your nephew in Colorado, we had a little spat. After I put him on his ass, we had a pleasant chat," Hades smirked a little and motioned for me to continue. I leaned against the arm of the chair and propped my chin on a fist. "I made him an offer; hand over your Helm and join me, and I won't send his essence to the Pit. It took a little convincing, and some pandering to his love of War, but eventually he agreed. It is my hope, that I may sway you to my side."

"And what side is that?"

"The side of Chaos," I responded bluntly.

Hades' brows rose high on his head. "Chaos? The Creator?" I nodded. "No one has seen or heard the Creator in eons. Supposedly, after the creation of Gaea and Ouranos, he disappeared. The rumors say he abandoned this planet."

"No," I said sharply. "Not abandoned. He left it alone. Left Earth in the hands of his children, in hopes that they might find their way and, hopefully, create a world worthy of them. To say he was disappointed is an understatement."

Hades cringed but remained silent.

"With the birth of the Titans and the Gigantes, Chaos lost all hope in the world he had created. The gods ignore their children, leaving them defenseless, unaware of the world that is hidden by the Mist," I was getting angry now. I hadn't had a chance to vent about all of this before, and now the floodgates had been opened. "They leave them alone to fend for themselves! Most don't even make it to the camps! They're either hunted down and slaughtered by monsters or abandoned on the streets!

"Well, he's had enough," I stated firmly. "We agreed it was time for a change in management. A new council comprised of the old and new."

Hades regarded me with a serious expression for a moment. "And how do I know you've actually spoken with the Creator? How do I know you're not just feeding me a bunch of crap?"

' _Time to put on a show, dad.'_

I felt dad sigh. _**'Fine… Just… don't be a show-off.'**_

' _No promises.'_ I responded, smirking internally. I blinked once and, judging by Hades' startled expression, my irises and sclera turned pitch black, the pupils shining like two white-hot stars. My aura flared pitch-black, emitting a sense of true chaos and chasing the warmth from the room. I drew Void Breaker and summoned my armor.

During my dream-training, Aunt Order forged a set of armor, special for me. The base of the set was stiff, black leather; drakon-hide boots, gloves, and chest plate, all reinforced with a combination of drakon scales and Chaos metal. The whole set was molded to fit the contours of my body, to ensure a snug fit, while also allowing a full range of movement. All in all, it was a truly terrifying, truly badass, set of jet-black armor, strong enough to take a hit from all forms of divine metal.

"I am Perseus Jackson, the sole pupil of Order, and the last son of Chaos."

 **TCKTCKTCK**

 **What did you think of the bit with Cerberus? And the interaction with Ares? Kinda sneaky, eh?**

 **And… what's this? Percy is recruiting? Oh my… I sense a coup.**

 **Hehehehe…**

 **Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	13. Ch 13: Almost Heaven

**Alright, the gang will finally leave the Underworld. I'm not sure why I decided to do a handful of chapters with them in the Underworld, I just** _ **did**_ **it. See, this stuff isn't typed up, edited, checked over, re-edited, and then submitted. It's all spur of the moment, straight from the ol' noodle. I type a little, take a break for a day or so, add some more, another break, finish the chapter, edit for spelling and punctuation, then submit. It's my process.**

 **Review Response:**

 **Lilie0107: First, I love the name Lilie, it's such a cute name. Second, I'm glad you liked our massive, three-headed doggo. He's a goodest boi!**

 **GodJax: Glad you're enjoying it, mate! I've noticed a distinct lack of top-tier fics in this category too, that's one of the reasons why I'm writing this one. Thank you!**

 **KrinosTheDrakon: I'm gonna hint and tease at a LOT of pairings, but it'll be nothing more than some harmless flirting and maybe a few brief flings. I gotta keep my fans on their toes, y'know?**

 **To those I didn't get to, I'm glad you're enjoying the story!**

 **Anyway, on to the story.**

 **Bonus cookie for whoever can figure out the reference from the title!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **TCKTCKTCK**

"And that is the future me and my father - my true father - hope to achieve. Zeus's reign has become too absolute," I stated bluntly. "My favorite human quote, from an excerpt by John E. E. D. Acton; _absolute power corrupts absolutely._ Truer words have never been spoken, Lord Hades. My father and I hope to correct this."

It had only been half an hour since my little reveal to the God of the Underworld, and in that time I had carefully explained all that dad and I were planning to achieve. Hades had remained silently the entire time, betraying no emotion, yet clearly listening to every word. It made me slightly nervous seeing his lack of reaction, but as long as he wasn't screaming in rage, I'll count it as a win.

"Your nephew, in a spectacular display of his ineptitude, blindly allowed himself to be… _convinced_ by a third party. This party pandered to Ares' bloodlust, persuading him into stealing the Helm and the Bolt in order to start a war that would destabilize, not only Olympus, but the Underworld and Atlantis as well, and thus directing your attentions from the true threat."

Hades cocked an eyebrow curiously. "And what threat would that be?"

"The Titans."

"Hmph," Hades grunted, nodding. "I figured as much. I have a contact in Tartarus that keeps me informed on the goings-on in the Pit. He's told me that something big was going on, but he was unable to gain more information." He cast me a questioning look. "Would you have any idea which Titan or Titans may be involved?"

I pondered for a moment, reviewing in my mind all that I had been taught of the Ancient Greek myths. There was one figure that stood out the most. "There is only one that would more than likely be the cause of such upset in the Pit, my Lord. Kronos."

If it were possible, Hades paled even more. " _Gamóto_ … this is not good. Our father is very powerful, and very ancient. He will not be an easy opponent."

"I will worry about that, Lord Hades," I replied reassuringly. "If the Great Prophecy is to be believed, then it will be my duty to defeat the Mad Titan. My Aunt's training was no laughing matter, and my current abilities are but a fraction of my true power. With luck, the prophecy may not be fulfilled for a few more years, which will give us time to prepare."

The eldest of the Big Three appeared as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders and let loose a sigh of relief. "Despite what your peers may or may not have said, I am not the hateful, spiteful boogeyman they make me out to be. I was tricked into taking the domain of God of the Underworld, while the airhead and barnacle beard got the cushy jobs up top. Admittedly this has made me bitter, but I do care what happens to the demigods. It is in large part why I have not had children in many years."

"And that, my Lord, is a perfect segue to the next topic I wanted to discuss with you."

"Oh?" Hades asked simply with surprise.

I adjusted to find a more comfortable position in my chair and affixed a stoic facade. "On our journey here, my friends and I made a pit stop in Las Vegas," the god cocked an eyebrow curiously. "More specifically, the Lotus Hotel and Casino…"

Panic flashed in Hades' eyes. His voice was barely a whisper, "you know?"

"I do," I said with a nod. "And I understand why you did so."

"...you do?"

Again, I nodded. "Maria Di Angelo was one of the rare mortals that caught your eye." Hades' eyes widened in surprise, clearly caught off guard that I knew more than was possible. "The '40's were tough times for the mortals and gods alike. Between the Axis powers and the Allies, many of the gods, both on the council and off, lost many children. If I'm not mistaken, you lost three children between the years of 1941 and 1943 to bombs and bullets.

"Broken and depressed, you were inconsolable until you met Maria Di Angelo; a beautiful woman, of Sicilian descent, who came to America to escape the ironfisted rule of Mussolini. The two of you met and fell in love. The result of produced two children; Bianca and Nico Di Angelo - both of which are very nice and very polite.

"Zeus, in his jealousy and fear of being called a hypocrite, attempted to kill the Di Angelos with his precious Bolt." I could tell Hades was just barely holding it together at this point, but I had to push on if I hoped to convince him. I continued in a gentler tone, "Maria was killed immediately, but the children survived thanks to your interference. Zeus, in his rage, attempted to kill the few remaining children of his own brother. The same womanizing bastard would have killed me as well had I not been very lucky.

"And what has that miserable excuse of a King done? He has basked in his delusions of grandeur and proclaimed himself to be so pure and great, when in fact, he broke the same oath the Big Three made, just under 50 years after he attempted to kill your children." That was the breaking point.

" **WHAT!?** " Hades roared, looking absolutely furious, the Helm on his head crackling dangerously with black fire.

I nodded calmly. "Zeus is a conniving bastard, and when the day comes, I will personally strip him of all the power he holds. And once I'm done? I'll send him your way to do with as you please."

Hades calmed considerably, seemingly placated with this knowledge and nodded with a cruel smile that sent a shiver up my spine. "You have yourself a deal, Perseus Jackson. The side of Chaos will have my support."

I smiled and bowed my head. "Thank you, Lord Hades. Your cooperation is much appreciated."

Hades regarded me a moment and nodded as if deciding something. "The night you arrived at camp, you were chased by the Minotaur, yes?"

"I was, Lord Hades."

"And your mother?"

My face grew dark and I could feel my eyes burning with black fire. "Taken. Most likely by whoever sent that abomination."

"Not exactly."

That took me by surprise. My head whipped around, and I stared at the god, who looked abashed and slightly sheepish.

"Zeus sent the Minotaur to hunt you. Most likely because he believed you had stolen his bolt," Hades began. "Admittedly I kept a watchful eye but chose not to interfere. At the time I had believed you had stolen my Helm. However, when the Minotaur made to kill your mother, I felt I should intervene."

I had my suspicion but remained silent.

Hades rubbed his neck sheepishly and looked me in the eye. "I teleported your mother here, only seconds before the beast would have snapped her neck."

"... I see."

"She has been well cared for and spared the decor and ambience of my domain, I assure you," Hades quickly added. "Honestly, I had a suspicion you would be arriving on my doorstep and had intended to bargain with you. I apologize for any heartache I may have caused you- "

I raised a hand, cutting Hades off. "No. You did not send the beast, you saved my mother, despite your original intention," I smiled genuinely. "My mother is one of three people I value most in my life, Lord Hades. You have done me and my father a great service. Thank you."

Hades smiled warmly, strange considering his usual cold demeanor. "From a son of Chaos, your words carry a lot of weight. Thank you, Perseus Jackson, for your understanding."

"Of course, my Lord," I smiled. "I would like to take my mother from here and return her home." Hades nodded his agreement before I continued. "Before I leave, there is one other thing I must speak to you about. Your children."

"What of them?" Hades asked with curiosity.

"I believe they should be left in Lotus Casino for the foreseeable future. To release them now, Bianca and I would most likely be in a race against the Fates for who would fulfill the Prophecy. Given another couple of years, I will be older than Bianca, therefore saving her from being the key in said Prophecy."

Hades' brow rose in surprise. "Thank you, Jackson. But why? Why would you take her place?"

"Because she is your child," I responded simply, shrugging. "It has always been my destiny to fulfill the Great Prophecy, since before I was even conceived. I have been trained for the last two years by Lady Order herself, and still my training continues. My father, my true father, does not wish for me to be the one to do this, but it must be done. And, quite frankly, you seem to be the only elder god who genuinely cares for their children. And why shouldn't you? Every day you live with the knowledge that your children currently reside in Elysium or walking the Fields. You have had enough heartbreak and heartache, my Lord. I do this for family."

Hades, God of the Underworld, eldest of the Big Three and the god with a heart of brimstone, stared at me with an unreadable expression. His face was as emotionless as stone, yet his eyes conveyed all I needed to see. The pride and gratitude those onyx orbs betrayed let me know I had made the right move and said all the right things.

I nodded and stood, snapping my fingers to vanish my armor and willed my sword back into its charm. "Thank you for your time and support, Lord Hades." I bowed low and started towards the door.

"Wait."

I turned to find Hades standing before me. Shock ran through me when the god shrank to human size and pulled me into a hug.

"I never cared for humans, and I never cared for my brothers' children. You may be a son of Chaos, but the sea runs through your veins. You are a good man, Jackson. For whatever reason you refuse to acknowledge your birth father is your own business. But I would be proud to call you nephew. Thank you." Hades whispered hoarsely. He stood back and offered his hand.

I took it and shook. That single action solidified everything that had been discussed since we entered this room. That single handshake was proof that the world was about to change. For the better.

 **TCKTCKTCK**

"Percy!"

Before I could react, a brown missile launched itself into me and almost knocked me over. "Oof! Hey Grover, sorry I took so long… could you get off me now?"

Grover blushed and let go, taking a few steps back. "Sorry Perce. You were in there so long, me and Annabeth thought you'd been turned into a hellhound or something."

I snorted and shook my head. "Nope, I'm all good. Still bipedal and not a dog." We shared a laugh and I looked around. "By the way, where's-"

 **SMACK!**

"Ow!"

"Where the hell have you been!?" My face burning with a small handprint and a look of surprise, I looked up to see Annabeth glaring at me. "You've been gone an hour! We thought you'd been killed or tortured or… or…"

"Turned into a hellhound?" Grover supplied.

"Thank you! Yes, that!" Annabeth growled, her stormy eyes burning a hole through me. "So?"

The daughter of Athena certainly lived up to her parentage, both in her inquisitive nature and her anger. There wasn't a lie I could fabricate that the blonde wouldn't be able to suss out. So I made a decision that would probably rock her's and Grover's views to the core.

I sighed and nodded, motioning my friends closer. "I can't say right now. We need to get to Olympus as soon as possible first. Once all this mess is cleared up…" I sighed heavily and prayed to dad that I needed to do this. "I'll tell you everything. I promise."

Annabeth examined me with a critical eye, those stormy orbs seemingly searching my soul. After a long, tense moment she nodded alongside Grover. I smiled and started towards the exit. "Now, I wonder where-"

"Percy!"

Once again I found myself hit by another brown missile and was knocked flat on my back. "Can't you people hug like every normal person?!" I said with a groan. I looked up to find the person I'd journeyed through hell to find. "Mom? Mom!" I returned the hug with equal enthusiasm, tears starting to form in my eyes.

Mom hauled me to my feet and kissed the top of my head like she'd done since I was a little kid. "Oh Percy. Gods I've missed you, kiddo."

"I missed you too, mom," my voice was hoarse and happy tears tracked down my face. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Mom gave me a watery smile and turned to Grover and Annabeth. Taking her cue, I introduced Annabeth, chuckling quietly with Grover when mom pulled the blonde into a warm hug and thanked her profusely for watching out for her little boy, much to mine and Annabeth's embarrassment.

"Okay," I chimed in, drawing everyone's attention. "We need to get to Olympus, a.s.a.p. The Solstice ends in less than an hour and we need to go. Mom, Grover, Annabeth - take a pearl." I handed each of them a pearl and explained how they worked. "Step on them, crush them, and picture the Empire State Building."

"Percy, there's only three."

I looked at Grover and nodded. "I know. I got on Hades good side, he offered to flash me to Olympus," lying through my teeth. "I'll be right behind you, I promise."

They all looked reluctant but nodded. As one, they dropped their pearls and stomped on them, three simultaneous crunches and a swirl of blue light formed around the three. In the blink of an eye, my mom and friends disappeared.

Rolling my shoulders and calling on my dad's power, I pictured Olympus in my mind. "My turn."

For those of you unfamiliar with teleportation, imagine trying to squeeze through a garden hose with a full stomach. It was constricting, nauseating, and altogether uncomfortable. In the span of a few seconds, which felt more like hours, I opened my eyes to find myself standing on the observation platform of the Empire State Building. It was dark out, the Sun had clearly been down for several hours, which meant the Solstice was about to begin.

"Perce! Over here!"

I turned to find my friends and mom standing next to an old service elevator. I jogged over and slid into the lift just as the three of them piled in. Smiling, I sighed in relief. "Almost there. Just a few thousand feet and this will all be over."

"Seaweed Brain, maybe now would be a good idea to explain what the plan is?" Annabeth asked, looking rather anxious. "The Solstice starts in less than an hour and we still don't have the Bolt!"

"Au contraire, Wise Girl," I remarked with a sly grin. I reached into my pack and pulled out a two-foot-long, celestial bronze tube, with caps on both ends. You could literally feel the air crackle and pulse with how much godly radiation this thing was putting off.

Everyone's jaws dropped, and I could swear Annabeth was going to have a meltdown with the incomprehensibility of the Bolt just suddenly being in my possession. I decided to cut her a break.

"That night we stayed in that motel near the Garden of The Gods in Colorado, I made a run to the gas station for some road snacks and happened upon Ares. He stole the Bolt _and_ the Helm," I explained, and dove into a quick rundown of that little encounter, omitting a few minor details of course.

"So, you kicked the God of War's ass, and he just gave you two of the most dangerous Master Weapons ever created?" Annabeth's voice was practically dripping with doubt and incredulity.

"Pretty much," was my simple reply.

Annabeth, mom and Grover just kind of… stared for a moment. Not quite believing it but deciding to just roll with the whole thing.

Ding!

 **TCKTCKTCK**

The doors opened and there was a collective intake of breath. Olympus was absolutely beautiful, I honestly have no idea how to describe it. The closest I could manage would probably be, imagine a gorgeous utopia, with Greek architecture... and clouds. Lots of clouds.

No one spoke as we walked along the street towards the center of the city, we were too focused on the sights and sounds. Olympus was bristling with minor gods and goddesses, all kinds of nymphs and satyrs, bustling about in markets and small neighborhoods. It got a little unnerving when people would stop and stare at us as we walked by, clearly curious about the three mortals and the satyr taking a stroll through Olympus.

It took a few minutes, but eventually we found ourselves standing in front of a set of massive, gleaming bronze doors, and… _oh, you have_ _ **got**_ _to be kidding me._ Embossed in gold, dead center of each door, was a large lightning bolt motif in the middle of a circle. Yet another example of that stupid bastard and his damn ego.

"He seems a little full of himself, doesn't he?" I muttered to no one in particular. Shaking my head, I pushed on one of the doors and the four of us entered the throne room of the Gods.

As I suspected, the council was already in attendance. The gods and goddesses were arranged in a semicircle of thrones, all standing fifteen-feet tall and sitting regally upon their seats of power. Well, most of them anyway. Zeus and Poseidon were glaring at each other, shouting and cursing one another. Dionysus was passed out and snoring. And the other nine Olympians looked either bored or irritated.

"Ahem," clearing my throat, I was able to amplify my voice to cut across the rather thunderous argument and gain the council's attention's. I gave a jaunty wave and smiled. "Hi. I'm Perseus Jackson. These are my friends, Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase, and my mother, Sally Jackson. We're here to return something very important to Ze… _Lord_ Zeus."

As expected, airhead spoke first. "And what would that be, Perseus Jackson?"

I really, _really_ didn't want to, but I had to keep up appearances and play the part. I approached the center of the room and kneeled, reluctantly before Zeus, and held up the Bolt. "Your Master Weapon, Lord Zeus."

 **TCKTCKTCK**

 **I hit a wall with this chapters ending, so I'll be doing a double post. Hopefully that will appease you bloodthirsty savages!... I'm just kiddin', you know I love you guys!**

 **Anyway, Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


	14. Ch 14: Thunder and Lightning

**This will be the final chapter of TCK: Book 1, so I felt I should treat you loyal and amazing readers to a double dose of updates.**

 **Fear not! Book 2** _ **will**_ **make an appearance. But for now, I may focus on my sequel to my Danny Phantom story, Half Dead Rule. Please don't hate me!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **TCKTCKTCK**

You could have heard a pin drop; the room had fallen into such an uneasy silence. Sweat beaded on my forehead and my arms trembled slightly. I kept my head bowed and stayed as steady on one knee as I could.

"Rise, Jackson," Zeus growled.

I felt the Bolt be lifted from my hands and glanced up in time to see it float into Zeus' outstretched hand. The second the metal met his palm there was a bright flash of light and the rod began to glow, extending to about a five or six-foot-long version of itself. The entire time, the big man's eyes never left me, anger swimming in their electric-blue pools. I stood slowly, clasped my hands behind my back, and adopted an emotionless expression.

"Pretty foolish of you, boy," Zeus began, almost trembling in anger. "To journey into the lion's den with the very weapon you stole-"

"I didn't steal it."

I had to stifle a chuckle at the look of momentary surprise on the big airhead's face. That look of surprise quickly morphed into one of rage. "Lies!" Zeus shouted, rising from his throne, the Master Bolt crackling with barely restrained power. "I know your father sent you to steal-"

"My father?"

Zeus was getting really pissed now… maybe I should stop interrupting him. Oops. "Yes boy!" He roared, his face was red with anger and he had a vein popping out on his forehead. "Poseidon! Your father!"

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. "He's not my father."

That really brought Zeus up short, his bushy, grey brows furrowed in confusion. He glanced to his left and I followed his gaze to meet the eyes of the man who left me and my mother alone for most of my life.

It was like looking at myself, twenty or so years down the line. Poseidon was tall and tanned, with unruly, black hair, a big, black beard, and powerful sea-green eyes. He wore a red Hawaiian shirt, tan cargo shorts and a pair of flip-flops, and he carried a massive trident that radiated a power on par with Zeus' Bolt.

"Perseus," Poseidon's voice was deep and powerful, yet full of warmth and kindness; as dangerous as a hurricane, with the gentleness of the tide. I could tell he was just as confused as Zeus, and perhaps a tad upset.

"Lord Poseidon," I returned, giving him a shallow bow. Hurt flashed through his eyes, and I felt a niggle of guilt in my gut, but I didn't relent. He _left_ us. Turning back to Zeus, I ignored Poseidon's forlorn expression and the rest of the council's looks of confusion and curiosity. "If it would please you, Lord Zeus, I would be more than happy to swear on the Styx of my innocence in the theft of your Bolt."

That brought a collective gasp from a few of the council, and I could see Zeus' anger begin to slowly melt away.

Zeus didn't respond right away, his electric-blue eyes searching my face for any sign of deceit. Eventually he nodded, and I noticed his shoulders relax just a bit. "Unnecessary, Jackson. Good work on returning my Bolt," he blandly said, as if it were nothing but an afterthought. "Now, if there is nothing else…?"

My anger spiked just a bit at being so blatantly ignored and I was ready to pull my sword, when I found support from someone totally unexpected.

"Husband," Hera, Queen of the Gods, spoke sternly. She was beautiful, as goddesses usually are. Her hair was a deep, chocolate brown, done in a braid that hung over her shoulder. Her face was regal and tanned with deep brown eyes that portrayed the power of a goddess. It was in these eyes that I noticed something kinda strange.

I consider myself pretty good at reading people. Give me a few minutes with a person and I could tell you practically their whole life story. In those chocolate pools, glinting coldly without the slightest hint of emotion, I could see someone who was unhappy with the way her life had turned out. Married to an ungrateful husband for eternity, living in constant embarrassment with the knowledge of that same husband's many mistresses. Hell, half the council were comprised of her step-children! It saddened me to think that the goddess of marriage was tied down to an unfaithful bastard like Zeus for eternity.

Her brown eyes met mine and I could tell by the way they widened minutely that she knew I could read her like an open book. I shook my head subtly, silently acknowledging that I would keep quiet. Hera nodded subtly in return and patted her husband's arm.

"Husband, don't you think we should ask the boy how he came upon your Bolt? And perhaps give him a reward?"

The council, minus a still snoring Dionysus, stared at Hera in bewilderment, clearly wondering why their Queen, a deity who harbors a strong hatred for demigods, was willing to listen to one now. I almost snickered at their gob smacked expressions.

Zeus regarded his wife with a raised eyebrow and nodded in agreement. He shifted his gaze to me. "Well? Answer, boy!"

If someone calls me 'boy' one more time, I swear to gods…

My gaze shifted to Ares; the biker was acting as nonchalant and bored as possible, but I could still spot the bead of nervous sweat trailing down the side of his face. I grinned inwardly, outwardly giving the War God a small smirk. I cleared my throat and moved to kneel before the throne of a different god; Hermes, the Messenger God.

He looked a lot like a business exec., with a sharp looking, grey three-piece suit, and a Bluetooth in his left ear. His eyes were bright blue, and he had a mess of salt-and-pepper hair. In his right hand was a long pole with two bronze snakes wrapped around it… a Caduceus, I think.

"Forgive me, Lord Hermes, the thief was one of your children." There was a collective gasp and Hermes paled at the implication.

His voice was grim and slightly shaky. "Who?"

"Luke Castellan."

"No…" I heard Annabeth's stunned whisper. Glancing back, my heart clenched when I saw her eyes shining with unshed tears. Grover had grown pale and was shaking his head in denial. Mom… I smirked. Mom was glaring at Poseidon, who was doing his best to look anywhere but her.

I turned back to Hermes to find the Messenger God with a forlorn expression and a pale complexion, as if all the blood had drained from his face, and he was completely speechless.

Zeus took control of the conversation, needing to look like he was doing something while doing nothing. "Luke Castellan must be found. He will be tried before the council for the theft of two master weapons. Any objections?" I saw a few gods and goddesses open their mouths, but Zeus bulldozed right over them. "Good. Now, if there is nothing else, council adjourned." He slammed the butt of his bolt on the marble floor and flashed out of the throne room. All the gods and goddesses, with the exception of three, flashed out behind him.

Hermes was the first to approach me, shrunk to human size. He looked as though someone had just kicked his puppy, and I my heart went out to the man. Here is one of the few gods who actually care and make an effort to check on their kids, but is unable to half of the time thanks to Zeus' ban on communicating with demigods… and that lightning rod firmly planted up his-

"How did you find out?" Hermes asked, his blue eyes shining with unshed tears. "How do you know look was the thief?"

"I have my sources," I reply evasively. "I'm sorry, Lord Hermes. I liked Luke. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy."

Hermes nodded and gave me a watery, half-hearted smile. "Luke was such a good kid, when he was younger. Mischievous and sneaky, much like me, at times. But he was kind hearted and treated everyone fairly. To think he could have done this…" He trailed off and shook his head sadly. He straightened to wipe away the moisture in his eyes and smiled at me. "Thank you."

I nodded and smiled back, closing my eyes when Hermes began to glow and flashed out of the throne room.

Hera was next.

She approached me as regally as any Queen, also shrunk to human size. Hera carried herself with a grace and beauty that was unmatched by anyone. Her expression was blank, but I could see the wariness and nervousness in her eyes. "Perseus Jackson."

I smiled and bowed. "Just Percy, Lady Hera. Or Perseus, if you prefer."

"Perseus." It may have been a trick of the light, but I could've sworn I saw the corner of her mouth begin to curl up in a smile. "I apologize for my husband's manners. He is a very… _temperamental_ man," her lips thinned very briefly, but continued on. "I thank you for finding his Bolt and returning it."

"It was no trouble, Lady Hera," I tried to fight the blush that threatened to color my face. "I understand the war between the gods that this would have started. There are more important things than a fight amongst ourselves."

Hera's face darkened, and her eyes narrowed. "The Prophecy?"

I nodded.

She turned a critical eye on me and examined me. "You know something. Something about this Prophecy and the war it is sure to bring. Don't you?"

"I do. I cannot say much, my Lady. All I can say is that we must prepare. We cannot squabble amongst ourselves and turn on one another at this time," I said solemnly. "There are powerful forces at work," more than just the Titans, "and we must be ready, my Lady."

Hera nodded and drew herself up to her full height. "Then ready we shall be." She smiled, "thank you again, Perseus." And with that, she flashed out of the throne room.

Then came the encounter I had been dreading.

Poseidon.

I felt mom move to stand beside me as the Sea God approached us. I glanced at her to see her face pinched like she'd sucked on a lemon, or one of those super sour candies from her sweet shop. Her arms were crossed and eyes glinting dangerously.

Poseidon had an uneasy, wary smile on his face. He shuffled his feet awkwardly under my mother's harsh glare and my stony disposition. He cleared his throat and turned to mom. "Uh, hey, Sal…"

"Poseidon," mom responded coldly. I blinked in surprise and glanced at her with wide eyes. I'd never heard my mom sound so cold and angry.

Poseidon cringed at the bite in my mother's tone and turned to me. "Percy, my son."

" _Perseus_. My friends and family call me Percy," was my flat reply. That one hit home like a spear to a target.

The Sea God bowed his head slightly, doing his best to hide the hurt in his eyes. "My apologies, Perseus," he turned to mom. "Sally, could we talk in private for a moment?"

"... I suppose." Mom said flatly after a long silent moment. The two walked towards a pillar on the other side of the room, allowing Grover and Annabeth to finally approach me.

I breathed a heavy sigh and smiled tiredly at my friends. "Well, that was fun."

"Gods, Perce!" Grover exclaimed, looking a little shaky and pale. "I thought Zeus was going to fry you!"

"That was pretty brave, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth admitted, somehow looking both impressed and annoyed at the same time. "Stupid, but brave."

I shrugged and buried my hands in my jeans pocket, my gazing sliding over to my mom and the Sea God. "This whole quest has been nothing but stupid bravery."

Mom appeared to be reading Poseidon the riot act, if the way her face was set with a stern look and her wildly gesticulating arms were any indication. Poseidon was looking thoroughly chastised, his face and body language just screaming guilt. His hands were anxiously clenching and unclenching on his trident and his eyes were downcast.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and glanced over to find Annabeth looking at me with concern. "You okay?"

"I guess," I say with a shrug, turning back to watch my mom. "It's just…" trailing off, I was debating whether or not to air out my issues. I mean, it's not like it matters to Annabeth. And with this whole Prophecy thing going on, we have more important things to worry about.

" _ **They are your friends, my son,**_ " Dad whispered in my mind. " _ **If there were ever people to trust more in your life, it is those that stand beside you, no matter what.**_ "

He's got a point, I suppose. I nodded and continued, keeping my eyes locked on my mom and Poseidon. "This is the first time I remember seeing my… seeing him. I understand the gods aren't really allowed to visit their children… but he could have done something." I was glaring at Poseidon now. The floodgates had opened, there was no stopping this torrent now. "For almost twelve years, there was no sign of him. No birthdays or Christmases… the first day of school. I can forgive him for that. I don't care that much about that stuff, but…" I trailed off again and felt Annabeth squeeze my shoulder.

"What?" She asked gently.

My stony look softened and I gazed at my mother sadly. "He didn't just leave me. He left mom too." My voice was shaky, whether from anger or sadness, I wasn't sure which. "I remember being five years old and finding my mother in her room, her eyes red from crying, staring at a picture of her and a smiling, black-haired man. He broke my mother's heart." I turned my head to look Annabeth in the eyes, and I could tell from the slight fear I saw, that my eyes had begun to darken. "And I will _never_ forgive him for that."

Annabeth didn't respond, she just put and arm around my waist and hugged me. Grover, having heard my little rant, came up on my other side and slung an arm over my shoulder. My heart swelled as my anger abated, full of the love and comfort my friends were giving me.

A few minutes later I saw Poseidon nod his head sadly at something mom had sad before flashing out of the room. As mom approached our little huddle I could see her eyes were slightly red and there was a thin tear track running down her cheek. She smiled warmly when our eyes met and pulled me into a warm hug. We stood there for a long moment in that tight embrace, silently providing each other with all the love and support we needed.

"You okay, mom?" I mumbled quietly in her arm.

Mom sniffed and kissed the top of my head. "I'm okay, Percy." She pulled away with a smile and made an attempt to move some of my messy hair out of my face. "Let's go home."

 **TCKTCKTCK**

Chaos reclined back in his throne and raised a glass of golden ale to his lips. The sweet, honeyed mead flowed down his throat, leaving behind a pleasant burn that had him sighing in content.

Everything was going smoothly! His pride and joy was making allies left and right, playing the part of ignorance to perfection and, most importantly, making his father proud.

The Creator took another sip and rolled the liquid around with his tongue, savoring the sweetness of both the mead and the recent success of his son's quest.

"I see someone is celebrating," an amused, feminine voice rang out.

Chaos smiled at the sight of his sister and raised his glass. "Of course, sister! My son's exploits are worth celebrating. Would you care to join me?"

"Hmm… oh, I suppose," Order complied with a shrug, taking a seat on her throne and a glass of the golden drink. She took a sip and sighed at the pleasant burn. "He really is a good boy," she said after a moment. "So brave and smart, and kind-hearted."

"My thoughts exactly," Chaos agreed, raising his glass in a mini-toast. "Perseus is everything I could hope for in a son and more." The creator sighed and stared into his glass. "I wish I could sing such praise about my other children."

Order reached across the small gap and placed a comforting hand on her brother's should. "Do not be so hard on yourself. They chose their owns paths. It's not your fault those paths they chose were the wrong ones."

"But I could have pointed them down the proper path!" Chaos exclaimed, lurching from his throne and beginning to pace. "I left them to their own devices. Abandoned them, neglected them! By my inaction, I have become no better than the Gods themselves!"

"Stop that this instant!" Order shouted, her voice as sharp and quick as the crack of a whip. Chaos halted in his tracks and gave Order his full attention. Her bright, white eyes were narrowed, and her brow was furrowed in annoyance and frustration. "You, my brother, my best friend and partner, are nothing like those arrogant, selfish, sorry excuses for immortals." Her stern expression softened, and she stood from her throne and crossed to Chaos to pull him into a hug. "You are a kind and wise man. You have been a wonderful father to Percy, and an excellent teacher. You are a good man, one I am proud to claim as my brother."

Chaos returned the embrace and kissed the top of Order's head. "Thank you, sister. You always know just what to say to keep my head on straight."

Order laughed and lightly slapped her brother's arm. "Well someone has to! Can't have you wallowing in self-pity. Me and Percy both have to slap some sense into you every once in a while."

Chaos chuckled. "And I will deserve every one of them."

 **TCKTCKTCK**

"So, in a nutshell, I am the last son of Chaos, and I am executing a plan to right the wrongs of the world."

After we left Olympus, our quartet, consisting of me, Grover, Annabeth and mom, all took a cab to our apartment in Queens…

Where we promptly collapsed on various beds, couches and chairs, and slept until well past noon the next day. After a very late breakfast of blue pancakes, (and tin cans for Grover after he ate three of our forks) me, Grover and Annabeth piled into a cab once more and endured the two hour drive back to camp.

It's closer to dusk now. The three of us are gathered in my cabin, Annabeth and Grover are captivated, their eyes wide with the tale I'd just told them. They didn't say anything once I'd finished, simply staring at me.

I buried my hands in my pockets and scuffed my shoe on the floorboards. "I'll understand if you guys don't want to be my friends anymore. I'm basically engineering a coup and overthrowing the Olympian council."

"Percy…" I glanced up to see an anxious looking Grover. "Taking over the council? Uprooting the gods?! That's… that's…" Grover gestured wildly, searching for the right word.

"Insane," Annabeth finished. She had been studying me with those all-seeing grey orbs through my entire story. Her face was a blank slate, but her eyes were practically shining with intrigue and curiosity. "Which gods were you planning on replacing?"

"Annabeth!"

"Oh relax, Grover! I'm curious. Percy has this big plan to change some of the gods job descriptions, and I want to know which ones." She turned back to me with an eyebrow cocked. "So?"

I took a deep breath and let it out slow. "Dionysus, for one. Zeus for sure. Possibly Poseidon. This won't happen for another five or six years at least, so there's no rush. In that time though, I'll need to interact with the gods and goddesses of the council. Gauge how loyal to Zeus they are."

"Why Zeus?" Annabeth asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Zeus is the oil in the water, the flea on the dog's back. He is the reason why most of the council is too cowed to do anything more than their duties. He is the reason why all those unclaimed kids are currently overflowing from the Hermes cabin! He's the reason why Luke turned traitor!"

Shortly after we returned to camp, we found Luke had jumped ship and snuck away in the night. No one had seen him leave, and all of his stuff was gone. Chiron was disappointed and grief-stricken to learn of one of his best student's betrayal.

Annabeth flinched at that last part, looking as if she'd been struck. Tears swam in her stormy eyes and her lip trembled slightly. I forced myself to calm down and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Annabeth. But Luke is just one example of Zeus and his tyranny. His strict enforcement of the ancient laws is why so many demigods harbor such hatred for the gods. This isn't about destroying all the gods, it's about balance."

The tears were flowing now, staining her cheeks and make her eyes red. I wiped them away with my thumbs and hugged her close. "I know how you felt about him." I said softly.

Annabeth stiffened. I rubbed a hand on her back, trying to make her relax.

"It's okay. I understand. It's hard to believe someone you cared about could turn their backs on you, on everything. I'm doing this so that that won't happen anymore. Where everything is balanced." Slowly, thin, but toned, arms wrapped around my back and Annabeth laid her head against my chest. "Can I count on you?" I looked at Grover. "Both of you?"

Grover had obviously been having an argument with himself, warring over all that he'd known and all that I had said. He finally locked eyes with me and nodded. "I'm with you, Perce."

I grinned at my best friend. "Thanks, G-Man." I looked down at the blonde girl in my arms and tilted her head up to meet her eyes. "And what about you, Wise Girl?"

Annabeth stared up at me with wide, teary eyes, and did that soul-searching thing with those overly-observant eyes of hers. After a long moment she nodded her head. "I'm in… Seaweed Brain," she said with a small smile.

"Great," I replied with a wide grin. I pulled Grover to me and wrapped my arms around the both of them. "Group hug!"

"Oh, c'mon Perce!"

"Nuh-uh! I don't do group hugs, Seaweed Brain!"

I laughed as my friends struggled to escape my embrace, rather unsuccessfully. Amidst the whining and cries of release, I couldn't help but grin widely at my friends, more than ecstatic that they would be standing by my side through it all. "I love you guys."

 **TCKTCKTCK**

 **And thus ends the first part of this story. Thank you all so much for following this story for so long and sticking with me these past few months as I slowly cranked this story out.**

 **You'll be pleased to hear that there will be a pretty big time jump between this and the continuance. By that point we'll be jumping into a major AU. So buckle kiddies, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!**

 **Thank you, my beautiful readers!**


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